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Your House as a Healthy System Bruce Stahlberg

Learn how improvements and remodeling projects can affect the overall health and operation of your home. Discover important questions to ask before remodeling and understand the impact on safety, comfort, and energy efficiency. Explore solutions for creating a healthier, more durable living environment.

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Your House as a Healthy System Bruce Stahlberg

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  1. Your House as a Healthy SystemBruce Stahlberg

  2. Improvements / Remodeling • When one has finished building one's house, one suddenly realizes that in the process one has learned something that one really needed to know in the worst way - before one began. -Friedrich Nietzsche

  3. Remodeling • Who in the room has had a remodeling project done in the past? • Who is planning to have one done?

  4. Common types of remodels? • Bathroom • Kitchen • Addition • Basement • Entire House

  5. Common changes included • Increased mechanical ventilation • New heating and air conditioning system • New windows, doors • More insulation • Air sealing / Reduction in Infiltration • New roof and siding • Other…

  6. The House as a System:One improvement on your home may affect the operation of another part of your home...and not always positively.Questions to ask before remodeling!

  7. PRE-Remodel: Questions Is the house safe?Are there carbon monoxide sources?Does it have any pre-existing conditions (that may get worse)?How tight is the house?

  8. PRE-Remodel: Questions Are there comfort problems? Are there moisture problems? Ice dams?Water damage?What is being proposed? Does it include the entire home?

  9. The House as a SystemExample • Install new kitchen exhaust hood • What may be some unintended consequences?

  10. Kitchen Exhaust Bath fan dryer Water heater (natural draft) Heating / Fireplace Air is pulled from the house and has to come from some place

  11. Kitchen Exhaust Bath fan Negative ( - ) Pressure dryer Water heater (natural draft) Heating / Fireplace Air is pulled from the house and has to come from some place

  12. House Depressurization PRE vs. POST Will appliances still vent properly?

  13. How leaky (or tight) is the home? • Blower door test • PRE and POST = what impact?

  14. Negative pressure can create backdrafting Signs of combustion gases entering the home

  15. One way to determine if you have carbon monoxide Carbon Monoxide?

  16. Other Sources of Carbon Monoxide Check for carbon monoxide in unlikely locations

  17. The House as a SystemExample • Replace old atmospheric draft, inefficient furnace with an Energy Star, sealed combustion system? • What may be some unintended consequences?

  18. The House as a System:Example • Possibly moisture on the windows the next winter • And / or Orphaning of the water heater and potentially back drafting of the system

  19. Atmospheric draft vs. power vented • New furnace was elimination of a small but continuous exhaust system • Possibly “orphaning” the water heater Two pipe system on right does not take any air from inside the house: closed combustion

  20. Moisture On Windows • Moisture levels can go up in home • Excessive moisture on windows can ruin windows and create mold

  21. Moisture Problems • Excessive moisture can also show up in the attic • Important to control the relative humidity of a home Signs of moisture at attic hatch

  22. Atmospheric draft vs. Power vented Available in Water Heaters too Much less chance of back drafting

  23. AIR BARRIER* WITH INSULATION *Think rain coat over sweater Sealing air leaks the easiest and most cost effective yet often missed in remodeling project

  24. We agree insulation is important

  25. Need to make it work right

  26. Continuous Air Barrrier • Continuous • Full contact withinterior air barrier (e.g., sheet rock) • Fully enclose conditionedspace Courtesy of Southface Institute

  27. Penetrations through the air barrier • Chimney and open wall.

  28. Penetrations through the air barrier • Need to be air SEALED !

  29. Thermal Bypass Thermal Bypass Open Floor Joist air leak • Solution: • align insulation • add air barriers 2nd Floor First Floor

  30. Longfellow Bungalow Air Leak • Major air leak often overlooked and missed • Holes sealed with foam, caulk, air tight materials

  31. Penetrations through air barrier • Open floors represent large leaks

  32. Is insulation effective? • How does yellow or pink fiberglass turn so dark? Answer: Air moving through it (filter)

  33. Insulation • “We already have insulation”

  34. Insulation • Needs to be installed correctly to be effective

  35. Avoid Problems • Ice dams, moisture issues

  36. Avoid Problems • Safety, carbon monoxide • Interior moisture

  37. Project / Remodeling Process • Plan! Part of planning process includes testing • Home Performance Test to determine pre-existing conditions • Gain information, make decisions, set priorities • Communication (i.e. ask questions) with all parties (contractor, owner, etc.) • Site visit or questions along the way (while still in process and dusty) • Test out and Verify when project is complete

  38. Safety concerns • Do not tighten a home with a safety or serious indoor air quality problem! • Correct the situation before proceeding with air tightening measures

  39. Solutions Include • Air sealing and insulation • Energy Efficient mechanical equipment • Designed ventilation • Safe operation • Increased comfort • More durability

  40. Solutions! • Mechanically Controlled Ventilation • High Efficiency equipment

  41. Solutions! • Effective and documented air sealing

  42. Solutions! • Properly installed insulation products

  43. Solutions! • Verify with thermal imaging

  44. Why the need to test? Examples of real life remodeling projects • $400,000 remodel, utility audit post-inspection only, payments wanted • Ice dams, owner wanted roof torn off (just needed air sealing) • Lower efficiency equipment installed, not given option or choice

  45. Why the need to test? • Test before starting • Incorporate ideas into plans • Check during remodel (still dusty and messy) • Best not to ask for advice after-the-fact

  46. Home Performance Testingfor Existing Homes • On-site evaluation of your home • Safety testing • Inspection of mechanical systems; Heating, Cooling, Water heating, and Ventilation systems • Inspection of insulation types, levels and values for walls, attics, crawlspaces, windows, etc. • Diagnostic Pressure testing: Blower door test • Thermal Imaging Camera • Measuring exhaust fan flow rates • Documentation of recommendations for improvement

  47. Bruce Stahlberg612.558.5959

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