With the current increased focus on
conservation and green buildings, super-insulation represents the forefront of
efficiency, especially for those who own an older home. Its effectiveness is
being demonstrated by a Massachusetts pilot project – one of just a handful of
super-insulation retrofits in the United States.
There are well insulated homes and then there are super
insulated homes. Well insulated homes have varying amounts of insulation in the
walls and attics. Super-insulated homes, such as Alex Cheimets’ in Arlington,
Massachusetts, just outside Boston, have six inches of solid foam insulation on
the roof and four inches on the exterior walls.
The 3,200 square-foot, 80-year-old building is divided
into two condominiums. Cheimets says, “We needed to replace our siding
and our roof soon anyway. We could simply do the minimum or we could
invest now to save later – super-insulation was the better financial
investment.”
To do the minimum – replacing siding and the roof –
would have cost $40,000. Adding solid foam board insulation on the roof
and sides cost an additional $50,000 but is expected to reduce energy
use in the home by...
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