A Preservation-Focused Approach to Air-Sealing and Energy Efficiency
You don't have to sacrifice historical elements of a house in the name of energy efficiency.
The Fine Homebuilding team recently visited Kent, Conn., to take a look at Hudson Valley Preservation‘s new office. Built in the 1920s, this house offered HVP the opportunity to do what they do best: preserve the past while building for the future. “Shortly after signing the papers, we had a blower-door test to determine the building’s airtightness and look for obvious air leaks with an infrared (IR) camera,” says founder and managing partner Mason Lord.
The building tested at nearly 19 ACH50—an incredibly high number. It was time to get to work. The HVP team started with small improvements like sealing gaps, adding insulation, weatherstripping, and more. But even after these upgrades, the space was still testing at more than 16 ACH50.
To air-seal the building even further without having to strip the exterior or interior, Mason decided to use AeroBarrier. With a blower door pressurizing the house, this spray-applied sealant is forced into even the tiniest of gaps.
All together these improvements helped reduce air leakage in the space by almost half without any invasive demolition. And no remodel is complete without a look at the mechanical systems and potential upgrades. In addition to AeroBarrier, the new office got a central heat pump and expanded ductwork.
Check out the full video at the top of this page to get more details on every step of the process and tips on air-sealing a house.
Story featured in Fine Homebuilding #326. Photo by Patrick McCombe.
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