How Does Cellulose Compair

Applying Cellulose

Fire Protection

Cellulose and Fiberglass: Moisture Management

How Does Cellulose Handle Open Flame?

Carole B, Wells, Maine
“I have enclosed a few pics of the finished room – thought you might enjoy seeing the finished product. We are very happy with the results – it’s exactly what I had hoped for – very comfortable – and WARM – and the exact finish I was seeking. We all really enjoyed the room over the holidays. Many thanks to you and your team.”

Judy B, York, Maine
“George Gendron is a master craftsman. He designed and built a large sunroom addition to my home. It is exactly the oasis I had dreamed of, and it is where I spend most of my days. George is a perfectionist and it shows in his attention to detail.

George also performed an energy audit on my home. He was able to pinpoint the cold spots and recommended solutions.
He installed insulation in my crawlspace, which resulted in savings on my heating costs.”

Marj F, Kittery, Maine
“We’re really happy with the home improvements. Basement and garage are incredibly much warmer and fabulous. Thank you.”

Lynne D, Kittery Point, Maine
George Gendron is a knowledgeable, reliable and competent builder who is a joy to work with. He has done extensive work on our home and has done a great job with repairs on the interior and exterior. He was very creative in working with us to solve challenging construction issues. We highly recommend George.

Roger S, Portsmouth, N.H.
“Thanks so much. The house feels much warmer.”

Kerry S, York, Maine
“We want to thank you very, very much for the beautiful stairs you built for us!! They not only look great but also feel so sturdy and safe.”

AIR EXCHANGE – The total building air exchanged with the outdoors through air leakage and ventilation.

ANNUAL FUEL UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY (AFUE) – A laboratory derived efficiency rating for heating appliances that accounts for chimney losses, jacket losses, and cycling losses.

ANNUAL RETURN – The yearly savings divided by the initial cost needed to achieve the savings, expressed as a percent.

BACKDRAFTING – Continuous spillage of combustion gases from a combustion appliance.

BACKDRAFT DAMPER – A damper, installed near a fan that allows air to flow in only one direction.

BRITISH THERMAL UNIT (BTU) – Measurement of energy, the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

CAPILLARY ACTION – The ability of water to move through materials, even upward against gravity, through small tubes or spaces.

CELLULOSE INSULATION – Insulation made from recycled newspaper and cardboard treated with a fire retardant.

CFM 50 – the number of cubic feet per minute of air flowing through the fan housing of a blower door when the house pressure is 50 pascals. It is the most common and accurate way of comparing the air tightness of buildings that are tested with a blower door.

CFM N – The number of cubic feet of air flowing through a house during natural conditions.

COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE – Rating of heat pump efficiency ranging from 1.5 to 4, the higher the better.

CONDENSE – When a gas turns into a liquid, opposite of evaporation.

CONDUCTION – Heat flow in a solid substance.

CONVECTION – Transfer of heat caused by the movement of a fluid like water or air.

DEGREE DAYS – A measure of the temperature element of climate in a certain location. The government lists the degree-days for different localities.

DEW POINT – The warmest temperature of an object in an environment where water condensation would form on that object.

ENVELOPE – The building shell generally consisting of exterior walls, floor, and roof assembly.

GABLE – The triangular section of an end wall formed by the pitch of the roof.

HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR- A central ventilator that transfers heat from exhaust to intake air.

HOME HEATING INDEX (HHI) -  The number of BTUs of energy used by a building divided by its area, and then divided by heating degree-days.

JOIST – A horizontal framing member that supports a floor or ceiling.

Kilowatt (KW) – Unit of electrical power.

MINIMUM VENTILATION GUIDELINE (MVG) – The measured blower door air leakage value below which mechanical ventilation is necessary.

PAYBACK PERIOD – The number of years that an investment will take to repay its cost.

PERM – A measurement of how much water vapor a material will let pass.

R – VALUE  – A measure of thermal resistance.

RADON – A radioactive gas.

RAFTER – A roof beam that follows the roof’s slope.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY – The percent of moisture absorbed in the air compared to the maximum amount possible.

RIM JOIST – The outermost joist around the perimeter of the floor framing.

SAVINGS TO INVESTMENT RATIO (SIR) – Measures how many times an improvement pays for itself during its lifetime.

SEALED COMBUSTION – A combustion appliance that draws combustion air from outdoors and has a sealed exhaust system. Requires no chimney.

SEASONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATIO – A measurement of energy efficiency for central air conditioners, minimum of 8.9 rating.

SHADING COEFFICIENT (SC) – A decimal describing how much solar energy is transmitted through a window opening, compared to clear glass with an SC of 1.0.

SOFFIT – The underside of a roof overhang or a small lowered ceiling.

SPLIT SYSTEM – An air conditioner or heater that has the compressor outside and the active element inside.

STEADY STATE EFFICIENCY – The efficiency of a heating appliance measuring the heat that crosses the heat exchanger and is measured with a combustion analyzer.

THERMAL BARRIER – A material that protects materials behind it from reaching 250 degrees during a fire. Drywall is a 15-minute thermal barrier.

THERMAL BOUNDARY – A line or plane where insulation and air barriers exist in order to resist thermal transmission and air leakage.

U FACTOR – The amount of heat that will flow through a square foot of building cross section experiencing a temperature difference of 1 degree F.

UNCONDITIONED SPACE – An area within a building not intentionally heated or cooled.

VAPOR BARRIER – A material that retards the passage of water vapor.

AIR EXCHANGE – The total building air exchanged with the outdoors through air leakage and ventilation.

ANNUAL FUEL UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY (AFUE) – A laboratory derived efficiency rating for heating appliances that accounts for chimney losses, jacket losses, and cycling losses.

ANNUAL RETURN – The yearly savings divided by the initial cost needed to achieve the savings, expressed as a percent.

BACKDRAFTING – Continuous spillage of combustion gases from a combustion appliance.

BACKDRAFT DAMPER – A damper, installed near a fan that allows air to flow in only one direction.

BRITISH THERMAL UNIT (BTU) – Measurement of energy, the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

CAPILLARY ACTION – The ability of water to move through materials, even upward against gravity, through small tubes or spaces.

CELLULOSE INSULATION – Insulation made from recycled newspaper and cardboard treated with a fire retardant.

CFM 50 – the number of cubic feet per minute of air flowing through the fan housing of a blower door when the house pressure is 50 pascals. It is the most common and accurate way of comparing the air tightness of buildings that are tested with a blower door.

CFM N – The number of cubic feet of air flowing through a house during natural conditions.

COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE – Rating of heat pump efficiency ranging from 1.5 to 4, the higher the better.

CONDENSE – When a gas turns into a liquid, opposite of evaporation.

CONDUCTION – Heat flow in a solid substance.

CONVECTION – Transfer of heat caused by the movement of a fluid like water or air.

DEGREE DAYS – A measure of the temperature element of climate in a certain location. The government lists the degree-days for different localities.

DEW POINT – The warmest temperature of an object in an environment where water condensation would form on that object.

ENVELOPE – The building shell generally consisting of exterior walls, floor, and roof assembly.

GABLE – The triangular section of an end wall formed by the pitch of the roof.

HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR- A central ventilator that transfers heat from exhaust to intake air.

HOME HEATING INDEX (HHI) -  The number of BTUs of energy used by a building divided by its area, and then divided by heating degree-days.

JOIST – A horizontal framing member that supports a floor or ceiling.

Kilowatt (KW) – Unit of electrical power.

MINIMUM VENTILATION GUIDELINE (MVG) – The measured blower door air leakage value below which mechanical ventilation is necessary.

PAYBACK PERIOD – The number of years that an investment will take to repay its cost.

PERM – A measurement of how much water vapor a material will let pass.

R – VALUE  - A measure of thermal resistance.

RADON – A radioactive gas.

RAFTER – A roof beam that follows the roof’s slope.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY – The percent of moisture absorbed in the air compared to the maximum amount possible.

RIM JOIST – The outermost joist around the perimeter of the floor framing.

SAVINGS TO INVESTMENT RATIO (SIR) – Measures how many times an improvement pays for itself during its lifetime.

SEALED COMBUSTION – A combustion appliance that draws combustion air from outdoors and has a sealed exhaust system. Requires no chimney.

SEASONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATIO – A measurement of energy efficiency for central air conditioners, minimum of 8.9 rating.

SHADING COEFFICIENT (SC) – A decimal describing how much solar energy is transmitted through a window opening, compared to clear glass with an SC of 1.0.

SOFFIT – The underside of a roof overhang or a small lowered ceiling.

SPLIT SYSTEM – An air conditioner or heater that has the compressor outside and the active element inside.

STEADY STATE EFFICIENCY – The efficiency of a heating appliance measuring the heat that crosses the heat exchanger and is measured with a combustion analyzer.

THERMAL BARRIER – A material that protects materials behind it from reaching 250 degrees during a fire. Drywall is a 15-minute thermal barrier.

THERMAL BOUNDARY – A line or plane where insulation and air barriers exist in order to resist thermal transmission and air leakage.

U FACTOR – The amount of heat that will flow through a square foot of building cross section experiencing a temperature difference of 1 degree F.

UNCONDITIONED SPACE – An area within a building not intentionally heated or cooled.

VAPOR BARRIER – A material that retards the passage of water vapor.

Since the renovated house would be very airtight and better insulated, the first order of business was to deal with any moisture issues. We coated the inside of the foundation with a waterproofing product, installed a new sump pit and pump and exterior perimeter drains that led to daylight.

Drainage and other excavation work
completed, ready to remove roof.

Before removing the roof, we framed the new stairway and installed the new 2”x 10” floor joists alongside the existing 2”x 6” joists, and then much of the sub floor. We also framed most of the second floor walls on the ground, in 12’ lengths, so that they could be slid up a couple of planks and installed without the aid of a crane, which could not be used due to space limitations and the location of power lines. Once the roof was off, we were able to install the walls and trussed roof with five men in three days.

Second floor on, installing windows,
rigid insulation, and siding.

I don’t normally like to use rigid foam on the exterior of a building, but the owner wanted to keep most of the interior of the first floor intact. Since the first floor walls were constructed of 2”x4”s, the only way to meet code was to install 1 ½” rigid insulation after the first floor walls had been insulated with dense pack cellulose, resulting in a R-21 wall. The second floor walls were framed with 2”x6”s with an R-value of 28. Attic insulation is loose blown cellulose with an R-value of 60. On the basement walls and rim joist we installed 2” (R-13) white faced Dow Thermax rigid insulation.

First floor renovations included a new kitchen with custom cabinets made locally, and a new bathroom.

To ensure air quality, we installed high quality exhaust fans and back draft dampers in the bathrooms and kitchen and a heat recover (HRV) ventilation system.

Renovation/addition completed

First year energy consumption records, even with only 90% of insulation upgrades installed, indicated a drop in oil consumption of 33% with more than double the volume, which means the square foot heating costs dropped 66%. The first summer, the owner hardly used the AC, and summertime electrical usage dropped 75%.

The upgraded insulation and mechanical ventilation package may have added around $7,000.00  (3%) to the cost of the project. That was immediately recouped, since those improvements allowed him to keep his existing heating system, even though the volume of conditioned space more than doubled, a savings of at least $6,000.00.