A local homeowner recently was talking to me about whether to upgrade a heating and hot water system. She mentioned in passing that she had just spent about $20,000 on new siding, which was put up with typical three-eighths inch foam board under the siding, providing little added thermal value.
Another homeowner for whom I did an energy audit had an entire north-facing side of his house stripped down to the sheathing (to repair water damage), and the contractor was simply putting back clapboard over unsealed house wrap. What missed opportunities these were for saving energy.
When you insulate an existing home that you are not renovating, you're limited as to how much insulation you can add by the thickness of the structure. However, when you are undertaking a substantial renovation project, you have the opportunity to determine the level of insulation (R-value) you want to add, and thus you can "superinsulate," thereby significantly increasing your energy savings — and not necessarily with a lot of extra cost.
Building up walls and roofs with very thick insulation, or superinsulating, for high R-values is not new. Many lessons have been learned as to how to retrofit homes most cost-effectively. You can add insulation to the exterior or to the interior of a house. There are a variety of different materials and approaches.
Two viable approaches include the use of layers of rigid foam board added to the inside or outside of the house or adding framing to walls or ceilings to accommodate extra insulation. The framing does not have to provide structural support according to building code, and therefore, it can be done much less expensively compared to a typical wall, either by cross-strapping, gusseting, or using lightweight trusses. Adding an interior layer requires remounting electrical boxes and extending lambs around window and door openings—all of which are not too difficult to do. If a layer is added to the exterior, doors and windows will have to be pushed out to the new exterior wall.
Therefore, when you are undertaking a renovation project, think about superinsulation. It only takes a little foresight and planning to take advantage of potential energy savings that will have long-term benefits. In the case of the siding example above, significant savings could have been realized by using one- to two-inch foam board under the new siding. There are other considerations before proceeding, such as how to properly air-seal renovations. It may be best to discuss and develop a strategy with an energy consultant and get a contractor who understands energy-improvement construction and will build according to an energy-efficient plan.
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Tim Gould is director of Energy Egghead (www.EnergyEgghead.com), an Amesbury-based home improvement company that provides thorough energy audit and energy conservation services.
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