ENERGYWISE INSULATING PACKAGE MANUFACTURER: BAYSYSTEMS
M
uch more than just an insulation brand, the Energywise system is a turnkey solution that essentially guarantees that a home will be far
more energy effi cient when the remodeling job is done than it was before. What we like about this program is that it takes the guesswork out of how the HVAC interacts with the shell of the home. Trained installers evaluate each job, and determine whether the heating and cooling is adequate (or oversized) for the home, and exactly what type of insulating and air management is required. They then guarantee a certain level of perfor- mance from the fi nished project. Of course, if the HVAC is old or simply ineffi cient,
they may suggest upgrading to better equipment—a cost the homeowner may not have counted on. But if that’s the case, the payback is typically quite rapid, and can be rolled into the same equity loan as the remodeling job. The insulation system used is a high performance Bayseal spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation, which has the added advantage of sealing
against air infi ltration.
www.baysystemsspray.com/index. php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&Itemid=145
1. Mechanical Ventilation 2. Insulation
3. Fenestration 4. Air Sealing
5. Ducts 6. HVAC
7. Lighting 8. Water Heating
According to the Building Codes Assistance Project, “Installing equipment that is appropriately sized to heat and cool a home is essential to getting the best performance and comfort.” The BaySystems insulation approach takes into account the whole house as a system, to design for optimal efficiency.
CLASSIC MAHOGANY DOORS MANUFACTURER: THERMA-TRU
E
xterior doors are often overlooked as an important player in a home’s energy envelope. Take a look at thermal image of an older home, however, and you can see the problem. Poorly sealed or uninsulated doors, like single pane windows, can waste a lot of en- ergy. Solid wood doors have an R-value of about 2.5, while insulated doors—typically with metal or fi berglass skins, boast up to three
times that insulating value. Fiberglass doors, such as the Fiber-Classic Mahogany doors from Therma-Tru, claim to have fi ve times the insulating values as wood—
with the additional perk of looking like classic wood doors. An ultra-realistic wood grain fi nish is imprinted in the door’s “skin,” a system designed to hold its color for many years without refi nishing. This product also features top and bottom rails made from composite material that’s won’t rot or split like wood. Some models in the Fiber- Classic line also qualify for ARRA tax credits—up to a $1,500 rebate to the homeowner.
www.thermatru.com
WHEN OLD MEANS COLD A wood door has an R-value of only about 2.5. As this thermal image shows, the wood is much cooler than the adjacent walls. Source:
Imaging1.com
www.greenbuildermag.com
September 2010 GreenBuilder
39
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