Kangas Home Improvements Articles

"Where's My Bail Out?" Homeowner Finds Comfort in Stimulus Package in Southern Maryland

Mike Sievers expected that his home, built in 2005, was probably more energy efficient than most but, given recent rebates for home energy audits and improvements, he decided to double check.

I figured, if public funding is available to off-set costs for an energy retrofit, I should seize the opportunity, while it lasts," says Sievers.

Mike contacted a home performance contractor company, GreenHomes America, to set up the initial assessment. What they found was shocking. Mike's relatively new home was 50 percent draftier than it should have been.

The good news, however, was that by focusing on energy improvements in his attic alone, his contractor predicted that the home's overall energy performance could be improved by 25 percent. Eager to take advantage of recent state and federal tax incentives, Sievers approved the work order.

The first step was to remove the original blown-in fiberglass insulation. They then sealed off holes from nails, plumbing, lighting, wiring and duct work, with two inches of BASF Comfort Foam(R), a closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation with extremely high insulating values and air sealing properties. (Air sealing is an essential step since uncontrolled air leakage is responsible for as much as 40 percent of energy loss, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.)

They then reinstalled the fiberglass insulation and added more to give a total of five inches of blown-in fiberglass on top of the foam insulation to maximize the insulating value. They also used Comfort Foam to insulate some attic rims and seal the rim joist area in the basement, greatly reducing the air leakage.

The results are impressive. Based on three months of energy bills, Mike Sievers and his family are now saving more than the predicted 25 percent on heating and cooling bills. With a little research, he was also able to offset 50 percent of the cost of the retrofit through public incentives in his home state of New Jersey.

And according to Sievers, there were some unexpected bonuses, "The overall comfort was immediately noticeable. Our house is not only much less drafty, there seems to be no big difference in temperature from floor to floor and it is so much quieter here now. Overall, we'd say, this is now a much better home."

A Little Research Can Lead to Big Change -- In Your Pocket  even in St. Mary’s County

To find available incentives, Sievers went to a free Web site DSIRE (www.dsireusa.org), a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Additionally, as an employee of BASF, the Chemical Company, he participated in a new company program called the Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Drive (NEED) that provided him with customized reports on funding and recommendations for energy upgrades.

To find a qualified home performance contractor, Sievers researched contractors in his area who were certified through the Building Performance Institute (BPI), a national organization with which GreenHomes America is a member. BPI certified contractors are highly skilled and have passed a number of written and field exams in order to achieve their BPI accreditation.

For more information about BASF Comfort Foam Insulation, visit www.basf-pfe.com. To find a BPI registered contractor in your area, visit www.bpi.org.