“My only thought is to encourage others who want to either save money or leave less of a footprint to have an inspection of their home."
Steve Dickson and Joan Ruddy & Somers, NY
Year & Style: 1994 Colonial
Square Feet: 3,000
Bedrooms/Baths: 3 BR, 2.5 BA
Heat Source: Boiler
Home Performance Contractor
Healthy Home Energy & Consulting, Inc.
Oil Savings: 22%
Steve Dickson was going through the Somers Record one day when an ad for the Energize NY Program caught his eye. This inspired Steve and his wife Joan to apply for an evaluation of their 1994 Colonial style home in Somers. After they completed their evaluation work with Healthy Home Energy & Consulting, Steve and Joan learned many things about the efficiency of their house. The insulation on their basement ceiling, which was recommended when they originally moved in, was actually acting as a barrier to the heat and air flow throughout their living space. As for Steve and Joan’s motivation, Joan said it best when she explained, “My biggest thought was just efficiency. I don’t want to waste energy, I don’t want to harm our environment or our planet, if we can do our part and make a smaller footprint I’m happy to do it.” And with 22% savings after their home energy upgrade, Steve and Joan can proudly say they’ve taken the right steps for their family towards a more efficient lifestyle.
Homeowner Concerns:
Problems Uncovered:
Excessive air leakage (through 1st and 2nd floor ceiling fenestrations, outlets, baseboard perimeter, basement door and attic hatch)
Improper thermal/pressure boundary in attic, basement ceiling, basement perimeter
Improvements Completed:
Removed existing insulation
Air sealed entire attic
Insulated attic with loose fill cellulose to R-value not less than 38
Open cell foam insulation to underside of roof deck
Cell foam insulation to basement perimeter
Dense pack cellulose at garage ceiling
Closed cell foam to basement perimeter
Air sealed entire perimeter of thermal envelope
Commercial grade weatherstripping to basement door
Elastomeric self-sealing pipe insulation to all exposed hot water pipes in basement
Resulting Benefits:
*The R-value is a measure of thermal resistance. The higher the value, the less heat conducted through the insulation.
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