My Home Energy Audit
By Eileen Sewall
I decided to have an energy audit done on my home. While I stay cozy and warm all winter because of my woodstove, I felt like my basement should have better insulation, and because I live in an older house (it was originally a carriage house converted to a residence in the 1970s), I was curious about what other things they would find.
I hired Colin McCullough, All-Around Home Performance. I chose Colin specifically because all he does is energy audits. Most of the other auditors were associated with an insulation installation company, and that felt like a conflict of interest to me.
Colin spent several hours at my house. His audit was much more comprehensive than I anticipated! He examined both the exterior and interior of the house, and also did a blower door test. The biggest item he recommended was insulation in the basement, which I had anticipated. But he also explained different ways the job could be done, and what he thought would be most effective. That alone was a WIN as I am not an insulation expert. He also included recommendations for managing moisture.
Overall, my house is not very efficient! The blower door test revealed that the volume of air in my house turns over 13 times every hour on a windy day! The standard for new construction in Maine is 3 times per hour. I am eager to get started on the suggested repairs so that my house will be warmer and my heating bills lower!
Colin’s final 20-page report included so much more though! My exhaust fans are not really blowing at desired capacity, and their ducts were not well sealed on the outside, allowing cold air to enter. I have recently replaced all of my windows, but there was no seal around the outer edge (behind the window trim) so he recommended silicone caulking around the perimeter. Similarly, my baseboards should be caulked where they meet the floor. My two skylights (granted, they are pretty old) were VERY leaky and should be replaced. I have passive air vents in the part of the basement crawl space that I never go in. How would I have known they were there? My copper pipes in the basement are not insulated. There were more items but you get the idea.
Many of these items are projects I can do myself, though I will hire a contractor for the big ones. I will be taking advantage of the rebates from both the Federal Government and the State of Maine www.efficiencymaine.com. I will be eligible for 40% of the cost of adding insulation to my basement (up to $4000) from Maine. Check out that website for other energy related rebates!
I highly recommend having an energy audit done and hiring Colin McCullough to do it!
What’s a blower door test?
The technician installs a flexible plastic frame with a fan over one of the doors to the house. See photo. With the fan blowing, it mimics a 20 MPH wind hitting the building. Then, the technician used an infrared camera to examine the house. The photo below shows purple where cold air is entering the house around the window. He looked at windows, baseboards, doors, exhaust fans, and any place else where the outside air might be coming in.
