Reducing Energy and Improving Comfort by Huntsman

In a typical neighborhood, a typical 1950s house stood: under-insulated, leaky and uncomfortable with high heating and cooling bills. The owners kept the thermostat setting conservative, because setting it higher was “a waste of energy.” Literally, this was the case, as the home had: • A few inches of disintegrating insulation on the attic floor • Uninsulated subfloors • Uninsulated basement walls and rim joist • Leaky building envelope • Uninsulated and leaky ducts

In a typical neighborhood, a typical 1950s house stood: under-insulated, leaky and uncomfortable with high heating and cooling bills. The owners kept the thermostat setting conservative, because setting it higher was “a waste of energy.”

Literally, this was the case, as the home had:

• A few inches of disintegrating insulation on the attic floor

• Uninsulated subfloors

• Uninsulated basement walls and rim joist

• Leaky building envelope

• Uninsulated and leaky ducts

 To reduce energy and improve comfort, the homeowners turned to CertainTeed CertaSpray®  Closed Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF), which was used to insulate the attic, basement walls and above-garage floor. In the process, the air infiltration rate was reduced by ~25%, duct leakage to the outside improved significantly, and an overall 30% reduction of energy was achieved. According to the Department of Energy, about 60 million U.S. homes are underinsulated. Retrofits offer a significant opportunity to reduce energy; however they should not be taken lightly, as there are a number of issues to be addressed – combustion safety, ventilation and building science. A Building Performance Institute (BPI)-certified analyst from Reclaimed Energy was on hand to ensure the retrofit did not potentially harm the structure or occupants.