Flemming Lund of Infrared Diagnostic LLC practices a particular form of energy auditing that leans more heavily on infrared inspection (thermography). Although we'd had a home energy audit conducted on our house some time ago that included use of an infrared camera, I've been anxiously awaiting his more image-driven approach. Flemming (a seasoned auditor who also happens to be a great guy and excellent communicator) and his wicked cool FLIR camera did not dissappoint; that is, if looking at your home's deficiencies through a $16,000 piece of military technology gives you a thrill.
I frankly didn't expect to uncover a lot of surprises in this building that has become so well documented and that I thought I knew well. But Flemming's process, expertise and thermal imaging uncovered new and unique insights into the workings (and failings) of the interconnected ecosystem otherwise known as our house. Flemming honed in on inconsistencies in insulation (and in some cases, entirely bare portions of wall). Because he is well versed in building science and real world situations, he was able to pinpoint areas where insulation had been installed wrong, or had become compressed, damp, or otherwise compromised.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway that his thorough audit demonstrated is the downside of missing the chance to get it right the first time. In order to make right the gaps in insulation and minimize the impact of the thermal bridges that he uncovered, we will have to embark on big and small projects, which I will describe in detail in subsequent posts. Some will be quick and easy, but others may involve removing portions of the roof to get access to compromised insulation, and removing drywall. Without exception, all of these projects are repairative. They should have, and could easily have, been done right the first time, or even on the second chance.
I wasn't particularly surprised, for example, to learn that the "old" portion of the house was inadequately insulated. It was distressing, however, to find that our 2002 addition was equally weak, and in a few places worse, than the original construction. When we embarked on that renovation, we could easily have taken advantage of access to crawl spaces and kneewall cavities to air seal and insulate. We didn't know then what we know now. And our builder and architect didn't either. Similarly, when we replaced our entire roof a few years ago, we could have insulated our attic properly and removed ineffective insulation. But we didn't.
In hindsight, these critical missteps, shared widely by so many homeowners, will cost us. As we made our way through the house with Flemming, the conversation turned to how we'll create a fundamental shift in long standing building practices by key players like insulation and drywall contractors. Historically, we've measured their performance on speed and cost. Extra care with the insulation or a bead of caulk in a key joint are not current practice. What we saved then in labor has been costing us dearly in energy every year since, and will be that much more difficult to fix in a retrofit. If only we'd known then ... what the infrared camera showed us this week - that what would have been easy and inexpensive to do properly then is costing us now - we'd have thought differently.
I'll get my caulking gun out now. I know exactly what needs to be done, and there's plenty of good progress to be made. But I will also tell everyone in earshot doing a renovation, addition or building project to get the building envelope fundamentals right the first time.
(In keeping with our open sourcing of this house's energy use and challenges, we'll report on the audit recommendations and data as soon as we get them. Some of the key measures for now: blower door test results 3601 cfm and 7.77 ach. As another of my auditor friends on twitter said, that much air flow will cause chapped lips in winter.)
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