GBA Logo horizontal Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram YouTube Icon Navigation Search Icon Main Search Icon Video Play Icon Plus Icon Minus Icon Picture icon Hamburger Icon Close Icon Sorted

Community and Q&A

Curious what the best way is to retrofit (air/vapor seal) my home to make it more durable & energy efficient

SpencerShemwell | Posted in General Questions on

I have a ranch style home with a walk-out basement on a poured concrete foundation. It is framed with 2×4 walls, fiberglass batt insulation, OSB exterior sheathing, standard housewrap, floor/roof trusses, tar paper on roof and shingles. The basement is finished. It’s a pretty standard house. I want to get the most bang for my buck without tearing down and rebuilding. I am in Virginia, climate zone 4. What would be the best way to go about doing this?

GBA Prime

Join the leading community of building science experts

Become a GBA Prime member and get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

Replies

  1. Andrew_C | | #1

    Martin has summarized a lot in a previous article:
    https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/energy-upgrades-beginners

    Even if you want to poke around and/or do the work yourself, if you've got the money a good energy audit (with blower door test and infrared camera) is money well-spent, IMO. And it may be a prerequisite for getting credit from utility companies for energy upgrades.

    Can't emphasize enough that air-sealing comes before insulation.

  2. Andrew_C | | #2

    And the Energy Efficiency Pyramid also helps prioritize:

    https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/energy-efficiency-pyramid

  3. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #3

    Spencer,
    You've gotten good advice. Start with an energy audit -- that usually means a blower-door test and an infrared scan. You may even want to see if the blower-door test can be combined with a longer session that includes blower-door-directed air sealing.

    You may want to read this article:

    Air Sealing an Attic

    -- Martin Holladay

Log in or create an account to post an answer.

Community

Recent Questions and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |