The rim joist air sealing and insulation is complete. The south wall holes are sealed – found 6 in all, one of which was 4”x8”! Many people have asked why this project started in the first place.
For awhile now I have been taking classes at the Boston Architectural College to attain a Certificate in Sustainable Design. (The classes, the teachers and fellow students have been inspiring.) In several classes we have modeled structures and investigated the energy improvements that will have the biggest bang for the buck. I had always assumed that this would be better insulation in the attic but repeatedly the results were first, seal up and insulate the rim joist and second, seal up (plug-up and caulk) all the holes on the exterior of the structure.
Now that the rim joist is complete and all the windows, doors and penetrations have been caulked and sealed it is time to test the impact. This week we will run a new blower door test on the house and compare the results to past tests to see what improvements have been made to air tightness. Pictures and a report to follow.
