Building Better, TighterMore Efficient Homes

For Less

The how-to guide for builders

Steve RommeMarch 4, 2016

1

Agenda

• Introduction and outcomes

• Costs & benefits of building better

• How to build better, tighter homes for less

• Summary

• Q&A

2

Introduction

• 30 year career, residential building for 10 years– Business roles in accounting, manufacturing, marketing, new product

development and business leadership

– Building roles as a home builder, passive solar designer/installer and new home optimization specialist

• Now a partner at eFree Advisors– We act as part of the builder’s staff helping them build better homes and

guaranteeing the home’s performance

• We focus on building costs, energy costs and comfort

• We optimize, specify, verify and guarantee new home performance

• We introduce innovation and evaluate new products

3

Session Outcomes

• Share our knowledge and experience about– The costs and benefits of building better, tighter homes

– How to build tighter homes for less

– How to keep tight homes safe

– How you can implement this in your business

• Get you to take action– Start implementing!!

• Either do it yourself, or get someone like us to help

– It can seem overwhelming, but it’s really not

4

Making a Home More Efficient

• Two key costs– Lights and Appliances and Heating and Cooling

• Within heating and cooling– Insulation and infiltration are the main drivers

– Infiltration also affects insulation performance

5

Insulation36%

Infiltration29%

Windows19%

HVAC Efficiency

10%

Ventilation6%

Heating and Cooling Costs

Heating and Cooling

36%

Water Heating15%

Lights and Appliances

37%

Service Charges12%

Energy Costs

Our Experience Savings

6

Construction Type

Shell SqFt CFM50

% Better Than Code

Year 1 Energy Savings

Year 1 Mortgage Increase

Year 1 Net

Savings

20-Year Net

Savings

Annual CO2

Savings

Averages 8,746 0.08 45% $1,755 $1,194 $561 $38,636 16,875

ICF 7,975 0.09 35% $1,178 $1,440 -$262 $10,151 10,403

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP 10,981 0.08 41% $2,172 $2,220 -$48 $27,419 16,887

TF: 2x6/BIB/Sh/1" 9,985 0.07 45% $1,440 $1,368 $72 $20,255 17,249

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1" 8,735 0.10 37% $1,254 $1,080 $174 $19,865 21,710

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1" 7,642 0.12 38% $1,326 $1,140 $186 $21,045 11,798

ICF 4,590 0.09 42% $1,141 $900 $241 $30,871 9,464

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 6,787 0.10 40% $1,011 $696 $315 $23,270 11,890

ICF 9,605 0.06 48% $2,318 $1,992 $326 $36,807 17,398

SIP 12,556 0.08 72% $4,081 $3,720 $361 $60,092 35,089

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 5,833 0.08 33% $844 $480 $364 $18,308 7,551

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1" 7,638 0.08 31% $1,085 $720 $365 $21,477 9,682

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 11,047 0.06 38% $1,665 $1,248 $417 $30,095 14,825

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 7,350 0.07 36% $1,062 $624 $438 $26,586 12,394

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1" 7,690 0.13 34% $1,155 $672 $483 $36,009 10,208

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP 5,764 0.08 38% $1,145 $624 $521 $25,381 10,212

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP 10,064 0.13 62% $2,378 $1,836 $542 $50,760 27,928

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 6,406 0.05 32% $922 $372 $550 $23,047 8,251

ICF 9,660 0.06 53% $2,791 $2,208 $583 $75,382 26,486

ICF 7,974 0.10 60% $2,788 $2,184 $604 $70,615 22,476

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 6,887 0.07 36% $1,069 $444 $625 $26,468 10,003

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP 13,980 0.10 40% $2,407 $1,776 $631 $44,070 22,138

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP 12,956 0.05 44% $1,676 $1,044 $632 $34,539 20,549

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 7,323 0.09 38% $1,158 $504 $654 $25,210 11,510

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1" 8,141 0.05 37% $1,696 $1,032 $664 $35,440 13,084

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 9,636 0.06 38% $1,494 $828 $666 $32,841 13,751

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP 10,119 0.04 37% $1,573 $900 $673 $39,864 15,561

AF: 2x6/Batt/Sh 9,470 0.05 40% $1,305 $624 $681 $34,385 15,463

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 7,561 0.08 37% $1,184 $492 $692 $33,714 12,565

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 10,509 0.06 37% $1,621 $876 $745 $36,072 14,844

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP 9,258 0.03 86% $3,324 $2,448 $876 $93,420 44,990

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP 12,529 0.07 53% $2,892 $1,944 $948 $56,747 26,179

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1" 5,778 0.11 80% $2,704 $1,632 $1,072 $83,176 15,292

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1" 9,371 0.08 49% $1,905 $828 $1,077 $46,431 19,370

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1" 6,621 0.13 48% $2,054 $816 $1,238 $51,597 17,941

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh 11,839 0.11 42% $2,370 $624 $1,746 $65,886 21,076

Our ExperienceInfiltration

7

3,000

5,000

7,000

9,000

11,000

13,000

15,000

- 0.03 0.05 0.08 0.10 0.13 0.15 0.18 0.20

She

ll Sq

Ft

CFM50/SqFt Shell

TF: 2x6/Batt/Sh/1"

TF: 2x6/BIB/Sh/1"

AF: 2x6/Cell/ZIP

AF: 2x8/Batt/Sh

ICF

SIP

FoE New Homes

Passive House

Infiltration and Insulation

• Infiltration = holes within the outer shell– Air escapes and takes heat and moisture with it

– Requiring more heat and humidification

• Insulation = material that slows heat transfer– Fiberglass and cellulose require controlled air movement to perform

– Foam controls the air within the material

– Fiberglass or cellulose are far less expensive, but are susceptible to infiltration

8

$0.0000 $0.0400 $0.0800 $0.1200 $0.1600 $0.2000

1" Spray Foam R6.4

1" XPS Foam R5

Spray Cellulose R21

BIBs R23

HD Batt R21

Batt R19

Cost / sq. ft. / R value Installed(includes framing factor)

Source: eFree Advisors Wall Analysis 2015

How to Build Tight and Safe

• Exterior Air Sealing

• Insulation

• Interior Vapor Sealing

• HVAC

9

Air and Vapor Sealing

• Two different sealing purposes

– Exterior air sealing keeps cold air out of the cavity• Smaller impacts on heating bills and structural durability

• Incomplete air sealing causes:– Outside winds can drive colder air through homes if vapor seal is defective

– Cold air can enter a cavity and circulate within, defeating the insulation

– Outside air can enter between studs and enter the cavity

– Interior vapor sealing keeps the home comfortable• Big impacts on heating bills, comfort, dryness and durability

• Incomplete vapor sealing causes:– Higher heating bills

– Cold drafts

– Dryness and the need for humidification

– Possible moisture, rot and mold issues

10

Air Sealing the Exterior

• Exterior surfaces that need to be sealed

– Exterior walls

– Exterior ceilings

– Exterior floors

11

Air Sealing the Exterior

– Exterior walls• Common method

– House wrap

» Alternatives are ZIP®, spray on material, and foam

• Key to successful installation– Completely cover the house from foundation foam to above the plane of the top plate

– Tightly install, overlap and tape joints

– Properly flash, lap and seal openings

– Seal penetrations

• Common issues– Garage walls and interior attic walls commonly missed

– Poor house wrap installation

– Unsealed penetrations

– Mud plate and bottom plate area

12

Air Sealing the Exterior

– Exterior ceilings/attics• Common method

– Vented attics need air sealed truss cavity ends

• Keys to successful installation– Vented attic spaces must have end caps that are sealed to the top plate and trusses

• Common issues include– Vented attics

» Truss cavity ends have blocking that is not air sealed to the top plate

– Unvented attics spaces

» Ends not well sealed allowing air to get under insulation

» Entire cavity vapor sealed (will work if perfectly sealed)

13

Air Sealing the Exterior

– Exterior or “exposed” framed floors • Common method

– Spray foam or house wrap

– Explained under insulation section

14

Air Sealing the Exterior

– Summary of Exterior Air Sealing:• Visual inspection is our only test method

– Post construction IR images can find bad areas, but it is usually too late to fix them easily

• Typical risks are:

– Less effective insulating properties that increase heating costs

– Interior wall condensation/wet spots

– Non-visual (within the cavity) moisture issues

15

Insulating

• Insulation Areas– Concrete floors and foundation walls

– Mud plate/box sill/rim joist area

– Exposed floors

– Above grade walls

– Ceilings

– Bonus rooms

16

Insulating

– Concrete floors and foundation walls• Common method

– Rigid foam under slab

» Below grade slabs typically include 1” foam as minimum, 2” maximum

» Foundation walls typically 2” foam exterior, rarely more or less

» Finished foundations typically 1” inside with R11 or R13 batt insulation

• Keys to successful installation– Knowing concrete is conductive

– Adequate edge insulation on above grade slabs

– Eliminating insulation voids as heat can be conducted through them

• Common issues– No insulation over footings

– No thermal break in thresholds

– Voids in insulation that cause heat leakage

– No interior rigid foam used when finishing walls

» Can be done, but cavity must be pretty tightly air sealed

17

Insulating

– Mud plate/box sill/rim joist area• Common method

– Closed cell spray foam

» Can use rigid foam and seal the edges

• Keys to successful installation– Access to all exterior rim sections

» Sometimes exterior rim joists pockets are closed and holes need to be drilled

– Completing air/vapor sealing and insulating at the same time by welding the foundation to the subfloor with 3”-4” of closed cell foam

» Some inspectors may limit spray foam to the area above the bottom of joist. In these cases, the sill plate connection to the foundation should be caulked

• Common issues– Use of improper foam or worse, just batts

– Application on wet or dirty material or in too cold of temps

– Incomplete coverage and air leaks

18

Insulating

– Exposed floors• Common method

– Closed cell spray foam

» Smaller areas spray 4” of foam on all exterior surfaces, or fill cavity

– Larger areas are properly air and vapor sealed and cavities filled with insulation

• Keys to successful installation– All exterior surfaces must be foamed with closed cell

» Specific designs can be developed to air seal the outside surfaces, vapor seal the inside surfaces and completely fill the cavity with insulation

• Common issues– No exterior air sealing causing reduced insulating effectiveness

– Poor interior air/vapor sealing causing drafts, cold spots and moisture issues

19

Insulating

– Above grade walls• Common method

– 24” OC with cavity insulation

» Cavity insulation typically used includes batt, BIB, blown cellulose

» Spray foam is not typically cost effective

– Rigid foam or ZIP® can be added to the outside, but usually not cost effective

• Keys to successful installation– Larger cavities need to be completely filled with no voids or risk of settling

– Smaller cavities (around windows/doors and between studs) need to be filled with foam or caulk depending on width

– Headers should be engineered to provide maximum depth for insulation, or framers should fill with sheet foam

20

Insulating

– Above grade walls• Overall common issues

– Lack of access behind showers, fireplaces, etc.

– Attic wall thickness of 2x4

– Lack of installer knowledge of the principles of insulating

• Common issues by insulation type– Batts tight within the cavity yet not over-compressed, split around wires and

cut around electrical boxes

– BIB filled around and behind electrical boxes and around wires and compressed or properly baffled to avoid settling over time

– Spray cellulose mixed properly to adhere and blown properly to compress material down while installing

21

Insulating

– Ceilings• Common method

– Blown fiberglass or cellulose

– Fiberglass batts in limited access areas

• Keys to successful installation– Wind block at ends over top plate

– Energy heels that provide full coverage to the outside edge of the top plate

– Specified thickness levels throughout ceiling area (sticks, label, chalk line)

– Treating walls separately <12”

– Baffles on higher slope sections to avoid sliding over time

– In limited access areas and sealed roof sections, completely fill cavity, or ensure no air gap exists on the bottom (drywall)

• Common issues– Lack of coverage over top plates

– Poor or uneven coverage especially in hard to reach areas

– Mounding insulation to cover wall sections

– Attic hatch is poorly insulated

22

Insulating

– Bonus Rooms -Big challenge and not cheap space» Common method

• Cavity insulation with good exterior air and interior vapor sealing required

» Keys to successful installation• Block and air seal joist ends

• Completely fill joist space ensuring there is no air gap on the top (under-side of the floor)

• Ensure the knee walls are insulated to R19 or greater and air sealed on the outside and vapor sealed on the inside

• Ensure ceiling is vapor sealed from the inside, has proper attic venting and has adequate insulation (R50 target)

» Common issues• Poor exterior air sealing

• Poor interior vapor sealing

• Cavity voids

23

Air/Vapor Sealing the Interior

• Interior surfaces requiring vapor sealing– Concrete floors and foundation walls

– Plates, box sills, rim joist area• Explained earlier

– Exterior walls and ceilings

– Penetrations

24

Air/Vapor Sealing the Interior

– Basement floor and foundation walls• Common method

– Plastic sheeting (poly) under slab – moisture

– Caulked slab to wall joint– earthen gases

• Keys to successful installation– Continuous poly wall-to-wall, overlapped, taped and run up walls

» Run on top of foam or under

» Penetrations taped around and sealed

– Use caulk to fill slab to wall joint (foam is a mess)

• Common issues– Poly is rarely taped on seams

– Poly has gaps between seams and floor penetrations are not sealed

– Slab to wall joint is not cleaned prior to caulking or not caulked

25

Air/Vapor Sealing the Interior

– Exterior walls and ceilings• Common method

– “Create an air-tight bag within the house”

– Continuous poly on all walls and ceilings

– Top plates foam-welded from attic

• Keys to successful installation– Good framing with built-in showers and fireplaces already insulated and polyed

– Framing, openings and exterior already sealed

– Insulation installers awareness of goals

– Pre-insulation and post insulation walkthrough

– Attic access sealed with weather stripping

26

Air/Vapor Sealing the Interior

– Exterior walls and ceilings• Common issues

– Poly installation

» Not overlapped, not taped, cut short or ripped

– Top plates not welded

– Interior walls intersections not sealed

– Window bump-puts

– Lower level wall connections to foundation

– Soffits/tray ceilings

– Attic hatches

– Fireplaces (they should be inside)

27

Air/Vapor Sealing the Interior

– Penetrations• Common method

– Caulk or foam

» Every opening including windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing, etc.

• Keys to successful installation– Pre-sheetrock all penetrations are sealed

– Post-sheetrock, all penetrations are rechecked and sealed to drywall

– Final inspection and touch-ups

28

Air/Vapor Sealing the Interior

– Penetrations• Common issues

– Windows and doors

– Recessed lights

– Electrical outlets

– Mechanicals

29

Air/Vapor Sealing the Interior

• Interior Air Sealing Summary– Most important thing YOU should be doing

• Best energy savings ROI

• Improves comfort

– No cold drafts

– Usually eliminates need for humidification

• Reduces building durability risks

– Doesn’t require special material

– Costs next to nothing to do

30

HVAC

• HVAC Overview– Critical to providing indoor air quality

• Closed combustion appliances eliminate risk

• Controlled ventilation provides efficient fresh air

– Indoor air quality will be measured in real time by homeowners very soon –are you ready?• Current systems can provide CO2, CO, VOC levels and particulate levels

– Best solutions are controlled, balanced ventilation systems• Exhaust with motorized damper or ERV/HRV

• Controlled automatically by time, occupancy, or CO2 levels

– Not by humidity

– Higher risk solutions that will be difficult to control• Uncontrolled and unmonitored fresh air intakes on furnaces (barometric damper)

– Usually either open or closed and requires furnace vacuum to operate

– Fresh air is tied to heating or cooling call, not fresh air needs

• Exhaust fans only that rely solely on building leakage for fresh air

– Can work, but need to be controlled and may have to be retrofitted in the future with fresh air intakes

31

HVAC

• HVAC Summary– Indoor air quality is an emerging trend and will be here shortly

• Monitoring systems will dramatically raise awareness levels

– As buildings get tighter and more efficient, IAQ becomes more critical• But also more manageable

– Providing customers IAQ options now is smart business• Provides them with an option to invest now

• Reduces your risk if they measure IAQ later and it is “bad”

– The industry has limited options for maintaining good indoor air quality• Best current option is ventilation, but it needs to be controlled and adjustable

• Other “cleaning technologies” exist, but their in-home effectiveness is a question

– Technology is emerging and staying on top of it will be critical• Find an expert and stay up to date on this

32

Summary

• Building better, tighter and more efficient for less– It isn’t expensive or difficult

– It doesn’t require special windows or other materials

– It WILL save the homeowner money immediately

– It WILL result in a higher quality home

– It WILL allow you to guarantee heating and cooling bills

33

Now what?

• Are you going to implement this stuff?1. No because I don’t think customers will pay for it

2. Probably not because it is too overwhelming

3. Not right now because I am too busy

4. Some of it I think we do a lot of it already

5. Yes I can’t wait to start

• Want to implement, but need help?• We can be your resource to make this happen most cost effectively

– Typically complementing FoE

34

Q&A

35

Steve RommeSteve.Romme@eFreeAdvisors.com