The Pretty Good House

I found this article to be very telling on several levels. In it, the authors argue for abandoning the various certifications and merit badges (energy star, LEED, passivhaus, etc) associated with building high performance or “green” housing in favor of adopting good practices gleaned from the years of advanced methodology.

1) This shows market acceptance of the value of good insulation levels.  If you don’t know what 10-20-40-60 means, then you need to read this article.

2) This reminds designers and owners that reasonable size and design (i.e. small and simple) are, as always, the most reliable means of providing low maintenance comfort at a competitive cost.

Thanks, Sam B. and Dave K. for the discussion on this article!

Interior ceiling drywall seams pulling apart?

Building forensics present interesting challenges.  The photo at left shows a well insulated attic in a home built in the late 1990′s.  Well insulated, that is, except for a small area of the vertical kneewall where the fiberglass batt had fallen away exposing the drywall to temperature extremes.  Thus exposed, the drywall and framing expanded and contracted to attic temperatures at a different rate than the insulated areas.  The effect? A costly drywall repair on the interior of the home.

If you have questions about the unknown problems in your home, please call!

P.S. And don’t forget to replace the insulation (complete with continuous sheathing on the back side)!

New Focus on Energy Home Performance Program – April 1, 2012

Beginning April 1, 2012 Focus on Energy will be changing many rules for the Home Performance program.  Please click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions released March 7, 2012.

Contractors (aka Trade Allies) are encouraged to read this Fact Sheet for a summary of changes.

Incentives are actually being increased.   But instead of going to the Homeowner, they will be going to the Contractor.  DIY Homeowners are no longer eligible to receive rewards.  Contractors (aka Trade Allies) must agree to a Materials and Installation Standard and will be subject to QA/QC visits by Focus on Energy staff.  The intent with these changes is to drive increased energy savings through increased work completion.

Please check back for additional updates as they become available.

2 Stadiums? 2 Acres?

In 2009, my family and I bought a solar array.  We generate enough throughout the year for our needs and the needs of 1/2 of a “statiscally regular” family. We’ve produced enough to offest the needs of 2 stadiums for one day or the equivalent of planting 2 acres worth of trees.  View the system output here.

H&H Solar installed the system with professionalism and great care.

Why post this?  Becuase it’s one expression of having fun.  This system is paying for itself due to our low usage and the excellent orientation and zero shading.  But even if it didn’t pay for itself (why don’t people ask when or if a fishing boat will ever pay for itself?) it is still good knowing that the electricity needed to run Artisan Energy is sourced from the sun.

Energy Jobs: Location, Location, Location

As an avid reader of the National Geographic,  I follow the Great Energy Challenge blog.  This week the subject addressed the specific nature of how energy retrofit work simply can not be outsourced.  Green jobs frankly won’t make a person rich.  But I do (at least mentally) account for the intangible assets of relative job security and carbon reduction through the work that I do and the awareness that is raised.

2012 NARI Madison Home Remodeling Expo Feb 3 – 5 at Marriott West

Thinking about some home improvements but need to get a sense of the actors involved?  Please consider attending the 2012 NARI Madison Remodeling Expo.  This is an excellent opportunity to directly communicate with Builders and vendors.  Kind of like when you get to ask your doctor or nurse for free medical advice when you see them around town!

Look into the seminar schedule as I will be speaking with Sam Breidenbach of TDS Custom Construction and Chad Speight of Chad’s Carpentry.

Home Energy Efficiency Tax Credits for 2012

As of January 3, 2012, the Home Energy Efficiency Tax Credit of 2011 has expired.  It is unknown whether the credit will be renewed in its historical form or if it will be modified.

The 2011 tax credit applied to windows, insulation, HVAC systems, water heaters, qualifying new homes, and certain household appliances.  These incentives were originally enacted in 2005 and have been revised and extended by Congress multiple times, generally for one or two years at a time.

“Discussions have begun in Congress about further revisions and extensions, although we do not expect any action until [late 2011].  So far, discussions have focused on simple extensions of the new home and appliance credits, and some modifications to the residential credit, updating qualification levels and modifying incentive amounts.  There has also been some discussion about reinstating the commercial vehicle tax incentive that expired at the end of 2009.  In addition, there is discussion of incentives for comprehensive energy-efficiency retrofits to homes and commercial buildings.  Under these proposals, incentives would be paid for homes or buildings that reduce energy use at least 20%, with incentives increasing as higher levels of savings are achieved.  Any changes to the incentives or new incentives would likely not begin until January 1, 2012.” – The Tax Incentives Assistance Project at www.energytaxincentives.org

Frost patterns can tell a story

With this cool weather and lack of snow, your roof can tell a story.  Look for uneven frost formation to identify areas of excessive heat loss.  Dig deeper.  You may find uneven insulation, open walls, light bulbs, or vent fans dumping heat to the roof.  All pose problems.

The above photo had a large interior wall top plate open to the attic and the lower photo had very poor insulation insulation distribution.

About dropped ceilings

What does this pair of images show about dropped ceilings?  A dropped ceiling with unconditioned space above is a poor air barrier that allows extreme air leakage to the joists and roof decking above.  In this particular case, the Homeowner had an aquarium in the same room.  Needless to say, mold resulted and an expensive mitigation scenario ensued.

The dark lines in the thermal scan show cold outside air being pulled in to the house during blower door testing.

Thank you, Thank you!

If the Contractor of the Year Awards are the CotY’s then does that make me the SCotY?  Or the Sub-CotY?

Thank you to NARI and to all the of local professional remodeling community for the kind words and warm regards.  It’s truly an honor to be selected as the Subcontractor of the Year.

Thank you also to Robert Nelson and Heartwood Construction for the chance to be a part of the “Residential Addition $100,000 to $250,000″ Team.  Very cozy addition and very well built!