Search results for "Improving insulation" in Home Design Ideas
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
Michael Eric Berube, Maine Virtual Home Tours
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
Bellwether Windows, Siding & DoorsThis 1970s ranch home in South East Denver was roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was also time to replace the wood composite siding throughout the home. Since Colorado Siding Repair was planning to remove and replace all the siding, we proposed that we install OSB underlayment and insulation under the new siding to improve it’s heating and cooling throughout the year.
After we addressed the insulation of their home, we installed James Hardie ColorPlus® fiber cement siding in Grey Slate with Arctic White trim. James Hardie offers ColorPlus® Board & Batten. We installed Board & Batten in the front of the home and Cedarmill HardiPlank® in the back of the home. Fiber cement siding also helps improve the insulative value of any home because of the quality of the product and how durable it is against Colorado’s harsh climate.
We also installed James Hardie beaded porch panel for the ceiling above the front porch to complete this home exterior make over. We think that this 1970s ranch home looks like a dream now with the full exterior remodel. What do you think?
Find the right local pro for your project
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
Bellwether Windows, Siding & DoorsThis 1970s ranch home in South East Denver was roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was also time to replace the wood composite siding throughout the home. Since Colorado Siding Repair was planning to remove and replace all the siding, we proposed that we install OSB underlayment and insulation under the new siding to improve it’s heating and cooling throughout the year.
After we addressed the insulation of their home, we installed James Hardie ColorPlus® fiber cement siding in Grey Slate with Arctic White trim. James Hardie offers ColorPlus® Board & Batten. We installed Board & Batten in the front of the home and Cedarmill HardiPlank® in the back of the home. Fiber cement siding also helps improve the insulative value of any home because of the quality of the product and how durable it is against Colorado’s harsh climate.
We also installed James Hardie beaded porch panel for the ceiling above the front porch to complete this home exterior make over. We think that this 1970s ranch home looks like a dream now with the full exterior remodel. What do you think?
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
Xpand Inc. | Homes of XcellenceAt the outset, this project began with the transformation of a 2-car attached garage. The goal was to create a mudroom, an exercise room, and a breezeway to seamlessly connect the spacious detached garage with the main part of the house. Additionally, the project involved partial roof removal and the addition of a new front entry.
But then came an unexpected twist – scope creep.
We found ourselves veering away from the initial client-supplied architectural plans. After numerous consultations with the clients and several iterations of the design, we arrived at a significantly improved plan for the remodel and addition.
Our journey commenced with the demolition of almost the entire former 2-car garage, making space for a new, oversized 3-car garage measuring 40′ x 28′. This garage was strategically placed between the existing house and the large detached garage. We introduced a custom low-sloped flat roof, designed to address historical drainage issues.
To mitigate water pooling, we created a custom concrete step at the back corner of the garage, equipped with a sturdy metal grate that sits flush with the step. We also installed a PVC drainage system, commencing at the step and running beneath a newly designed patio, ultimately draining into the yard. These measures have significantly reduced water accumulation around the house.
The new garage boasts several features, including Longboard aluminum siding, custom full glass garage doors, interior drywall finished to a level 4, an abundance of can lights, an epoxy floor coating, vinyl base trim, a new forced air garage heater, and more.
The clients also requested a designated space for their three kids and their friends to enjoy, thus giving birth to the “Kid Zone.” We partitioned a section of the existing oversized garage, resulting in a space measuring approximately 22′ x 32′, brimming with entertainment possibilities. To enhance control over the temperature in the Kid Zone, we collaborated with our licensed HVAC partner to install a cold weather mini-split system.
One of the most significant challenges was the modernization and consolidation of the home’s main electrical systems. We reconfigured and combined 6-7 different electrical panels into just two. One panel serves the main house, while the second is dedicated to backup power from a generator. These panels, along with the boiler for the in-floor heating system, are housed in a newly constructed mechanical room within the Kid Zone.
Inside the main house, we completed various tasks, such as removing the ceiling in the hallway from the new garage to address prior water damage, improve insulation, and rework electrical and HVAC systems. We also replaced the ceiling from the front door to the base of the stairs, adding new can lighting and enhancing insulation. Skilled drywall specialists then installed and finished new drywall to a level 5 standard.
The exterior of the house underwent a complete overhaul. Before installing new roofing on the entire house and garage, we modified an existing flat roof by adding custom lumber and plywood to enhance the pitch, preventing future ice dams. A new rubber roof was expertly installed on the oversized 3-car garage, and the flat roof section we re-framed.
Our meticulous exterior team removed old white aluminum soffit, fascia, and gutters, replacing them with new framing to accommodate Longboard soffit material. This task was particularly challenging due to the age of the house and the non-standard wall and roof framing. Our skilled exterior subcontractors ensured a perfect fit.
Near the pool area, we discovered severe rot and decay from years of water intrusion. After informing the homeowners, we ordered and installed five new commercial-style block framed windows and a custom 8′ high Anderson patio door. This involved careful removal and replacement of window headers from the outside to avoid disturbing the finished part of the house. We reframed the large openings to fit the new windows, and our skilled trim carpenters installed new walnut casing, base, and window sills.
In total, we replaced around 900 lineal feet of soffit and installed approximately 32 squares of aluminum siding. The entire house was meticulously prepped, repaired, and painted according to the client’s chosen color.
Throughout the project, we incorporated numerous custom touches and unique design elements, some of which you can see in the pictures. Our team also addressed various unforeseen challenges, from soil issues to rot and decay repair, roof leaks, drainage problems, electrical and HVAC complexities, and much more.
At Xpand Inc., we take pride in making it all happen, turning your remodeling and renovation dreams into reality.
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
Xpand Inc. | Homes of XcellenceAt the outset, this project began with the transformation of a 2-car attached garage. The goal was to create a mudroom, an exercise room, and a breezeway to seamlessly connect the spacious detached garage with the main part of the house. Additionally, the project involved partial roof removal and the addition of a new front entry.
But then came an unexpected twist – scope creep.
We found ourselves veering away from the initial client-supplied architectural plans. After numerous consultations with the clients and several iterations of the design, we arrived at a significantly improved plan for the remodel and addition.
Our journey commenced with the demolition of almost the entire former 2-car garage, making space for a new, oversized 3-car garage measuring 40′ x 28′. This garage was strategically placed between the existing house and the large detached garage. We introduced a custom low-sloped flat roof, designed to address historical drainage issues.
To mitigate water pooling, we created a custom concrete step at the back corner of the garage, equipped with a sturdy metal grate that sits flush with the step. We also installed a PVC drainage system, commencing at the step and running beneath a newly designed patio, ultimately draining into the yard. These measures have significantly reduced water accumulation around the house.
The new garage boasts several features, including Longboard aluminum siding, custom full glass garage doors, interior drywall finished to a level 4, an abundance of can lights, an epoxy floor coating, vinyl base trim, a new forced air garage heater, and more.
The clients also requested a designated space for their three kids and their friends to enjoy, thus giving birth to the “Kid Zone.” We partitioned a section of the existing oversized garage, resulting in a space measuring approximately 22′ x 32′, brimming with entertainment possibilities. To enhance control over the temperature in the Kid Zone, we collaborated with our licensed HVAC partner to install a cold weather mini-split system.
One of the most significant challenges was the modernization and consolidation of the home’s main electrical systems. We reconfigured and combined 6-7 different electrical panels into just two. One panel serves the main house, while the second is dedicated to backup power from a generator. These panels, along with the boiler for the in-floor heating system, are housed in a newly constructed mechanical room within the Kid Zone.
Inside the main house, we completed various tasks, such as removing the ceiling in the hallway from the new garage to address prior water damage, improve insulation, and rework electrical and HVAC systems. We also replaced the ceiling from the front door to the base of the stairs, adding new can lighting and enhancing insulation. Skilled drywall specialists then installed and finished new drywall to a level 5 standard.
The exterior of the house underwent a complete overhaul. Before installing new roofing on the entire house and garage, we modified an existing flat roof by adding custom lumber and plywood to enhance the pitch, preventing future ice dams. A new rubber roof was expertly installed on the oversized 3-car garage, and the flat roof section we re-framed.
Our meticulous exterior team removed old white aluminum soffit, fascia, and gutters, replacing them with new framing to accommodate Longboard soffit material. This task was particularly challenging due to the age of the house and the non-standard wall and roof framing. Our skilled exterior subcontractors ensured a perfect fit.
Near the pool area, we discovered severe rot and decay from years of water intrusion. After informing the homeowners, we ordered and installed five new commercial-style block framed windows and a custom 8′ high Anderson patio door. This involved careful removal and replacement of window headers from the outside to avoid disturbing the finished part of the house. We reframed the large openings to fit the new windows, and our skilled trim carpenters installed new walnut casing, base, and window sills.
In total, we replaced around 900 lineal feet of soffit and installed approximately 32 squares of aluminum siding. The entire house was meticulously prepped, repaired, and painted according to the client’s chosen color.
Throughout the project, we incorporated numerous custom touches and unique design elements, some of which you can see in the pictures. Our team also addressed various unforeseen challenges, from soil issues to rot and decay repair, roof leaks, drainage problems, electrical and HVAC complexities, and much more.
At Xpand Inc., we take pride in making it all happen, turning your remodeling and renovation dreams into reality.
Home Dr Pros LLCWe're excited to showcase our catalog of bathroom projects, where collaboration with homeowners brought their vision to life! Our team worked closely with the clients to design and install beautiful new bathrooms that enhance both space and functionality. The bathroom remodels feature custom tile work, sleek bath accessories, and expertly crafted tub and shower conversions making it the heart of the home. From the initial consultation to the final touches, our partnership with the homeowners ensured every detail was perfect. We also completed various general contractor tasks, including new flooring, updated lighting, and improved insulation. We take pride in turning ideas into reality, making homes more beautiful and comfortable. Reach out to us to start your next home improvement project!
Home Dr Pros is a general contractor in Knoxville, TN that remodels kitchens, basements, attics, and tub & shower conversions in Knoxville and the greater Knoxville area.
Bellwether Windows, Siding & DoorsThis 1970s ranch home in South East Denver was roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was also time to replace the wood composite siding throughout the home. Since Colorado Siding Repair was planning to remove and replace all the siding, we proposed that we install OSB underlayment and insulation under the new siding to improve it’s heating and cooling throughout the year.
After we addressed the insulation of their home, we installed James Hardie ColorPlus® fiber cement siding in Grey Slate with Arctic White trim. James Hardie offers ColorPlus® Board & Batten. We installed Board & Batten in the front of the home and Cedarmill HardiPlank® in the back of the home. Fiber cement siding also helps improve the insulative value of any home because of the quality of the product and how durable it is against Colorado’s harsh climate.
We also installed James Hardie beaded porch panel for the ceiling above the front porch to complete this home exterior make over. We think that this 1970s ranch home looks like a dream now with the full exterior remodel. What do you think?
Bellwether Windows, Siding & DoorsThis 1970s ranch home in South East Denver was roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was also time to replace the wood composite siding throughout the home. Since Colorado Siding Repair was planning to remove and replace all the siding, we proposed that we install OSB underlayment and insulation under the new siding to improve it’s heating and cooling throughout the year.
After we addressed the insulation of their home, we installed James Hardie ColorPlus® fiber cement siding in Grey Slate with Arctic White trim. James Hardie offers ColorPlus® Board & Batten. We installed Board & Batten in the front of the home and Cedarmill HardiPlank® in the back of the home. Fiber cement siding also helps improve the insulative value of any home because of the quality of the product and how durable it is against Colorado’s harsh climate.
We also installed James Hardie beaded porch panel for the ceiling above the front porch to complete this home exterior make over. We think that this 1970s ranch home looks like a dream now with the full exterior remodel. What do you think?
Sponsored
Delaware County, OH
Whisler Home Improvement
Franklin County's Committed Home Improvement Professionals
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
Bellwether Windows, Siding & DoorsThis 1970s ranch home in South East Denver was roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was also time to replace the wood composite siding throughout the home. Since Colorado Siding Repair was planning to remove and replace all the siding, we proposed that we install OSB underlayment and insulation under the new siding to improve it’s heating and cooling throughout the year.
After we addressed the insulation of their home, we installed James Hardie ColorPlus® fiber cement siding in Grey Slate with Arctic White trim. James Hardie offers ColorPlus® Board & Batten. We installed Board & Batten in the front of the home and Cedarmill HardiPlank® in the back of the home. Fiber cement siding also helps improve the insulative value of any home because of the quality of the product and how durable it is against Colorado’s harsh climate.
We also installed James Hardie beaded porch panel for the ceiling above the front porch to complete this home exterior make over. We think that this 1970s ranch home looks like a dream now with the full exterior remodel. What do you think?
Bellwether Windows, Siding & DoorsThis 1970s ranch home in South East Denver was roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was also time to replace the wood composite siding throughout the home. Since Colorado Siding Repair was planning to remove and replace all the siding, we proposed that we install OSB underlayment and insulation under the new siding to improve it’s heating and cooling throughout the year.
After we addressed the insulation of their home, we installed James Hardie ColorPlus® fiber cement siding in Grey Slate with Arctic White trim. James Hardie offers ColorPlus® Board & Batten. We installed Board & Batten in the front of the home and Cedarmill HardiPlank® in the back of the home. Fiber cement siding also helps improve the insulative value of any home because of the quality of the product and how durable it is against Colorado’s harsh climate.
We also installed James Hardie beaded porch panel for the ceiling above the front porch to complete this home exterior make over. We think that this 1970s ranch home looks like a dream now with the full exterior remodel. What do you think?
Sponsored
Delaware County, OH
Whisler Home Improvement
Franklin County's Committed Home Improvement Professionals
Bellwether Windows, Siding & DoorsThis 1970s ranch home in South East Denver was roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was also time to replace the wood composite siding throughout the home. Since Colorado Siding Repair was planning to remove and replace all the siding, we proposed that we install OSB underlayment and insulation under the new siding to improve it’s heating and cooling throughout the year.
After we addressed the insulation of their home, we installed James Hardie ColorPlus® fiber cement siding in Grey Slate with Arctic White trim. James Hardie offers ColorPlus® Board & Batten. We installed Board & Batten in the front of the home and Cedarmill HardiPlank® in the back of the home. Fiber cement siding also helps improve the insulative value of any home because of the quality of the product and how durable it is against Colorado’s harsh climate.
We also installed James Hardie beaded porch panel for the ceiling above the front porch to complete this home exterior make over. We think that this 1970s ranch home looks like a dream now with the full exterior remodel. What do you think?
Bellwether Windows, Siding & DoorsThis 1970s ranch home in South East Denver was roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was also time to replace the wood composite siding throughout the home. Since Colorado Siding Repair was planning to remove and replace all the siding, we proposed that we install OSB underlayment and insulation under the new siding to improve it’s heating and cooling throughout the year.
After we addressed the insulation of their home, we installed James Hardie ColorPlus® fiber cement siding in Grey Slate with Arctic White trim. James Hardie offers ColorPlus® Board & Batten. We installed Board & Batten in the front of the home and Cedarmill HardiPlank® in the back of the home. Fiber cement siding also helps improve the insulative value of any home because of the quality of the product and how durable it is against Colorado’s harsh climate.
We also installed James Hardie beaded porch panel for the ceiling above the front porch to complete this home exterior make over. We think that this 1970s ranch home looks like a dream now with the full exterior remodel. What do you think?
Mottram ArchitectureTimber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements.
Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma.
Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house"
Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden.
Builder: East Shore Builders
Photographer: Michael Eric Berube
5