Contest Winners: The Duncan Family

$2,500 Makeover

Jim Duncan

Crozet, Albemarle County

2278 square feet

Contractor: APM-Energy

APM-Energy is working with Airflow Systems and WeatherSeal to complete the work. 

Head over Jim Duncan's blog at RealCentralVA.com to hear more about his experience.

Why This House? 

Jim and his family of four live in a pretty new house (2003) but pay excessively high energy bills while still suffering in a drafty house. Turns out only half of their attic is insulated, among other issues.

Basic Issues Uncovered in Home Energy Assessment:

• No insulation under floored attic (approx. half of area)
• Stairway bypass from large walk-up attic
• Air handler and duct work in unconditioned attic
• Walls of one story utility room uninsulated
• House is twice as leaky as it needs to be

Home Energy Improvements with Makeover:

• Seal and insulate both ends of floored area
• Condition entire attic with 4-6 inches open cell foam
• Insulate walls in stairway of bypass
• Dense pack exterior walls of one story
• Add insulation to roof of one story
• Air handler and duct work brought into conditioned space

Expected Benefits:

Increased comfort and lower energy bills.

Projected Energy Savings:

30-40%

"I'm grateful for having won the $2,500, for the education and for the opportunity to go above the suggestions to make my home more energy efficient, more financially efficient and more comfortable. The first night we had the foam insulation, the house felt better. My wife said, 'it's like someone put a blanket on our house.' We're planning on staying in our house longer, so making this decision to invest in our house was a no-brainer." -- Jim Duncan