Biddle Deep Energy Retrofit
Biddle retrofit of 25 Norfolk Avenue
Completion
Completion date 01/03/2012
Occupancy
Owner-occupied. Six full-time residents spanning three generations live in this home. The two grandparents are retired, but active, spending several days per week out of the house. The children are school-aged, attending the public school during the school year. One parent works 9-5; one is an at-home caregiver.
Scope
A super-insulated second story was added above a single story, L-shaped ranch house. This included 16" of dense packed cellulose in the ceiling and 10" in the walls. The second story exterior also received 1.5" of rigid foam under the siding. On the existing first floor exterior, 1.5" of rigid foam was added under new siding. Extensive air sealing was done throughout. All windows were replaced with triple pane windows. The basement walls were insulated with 2" of rigid foam and covered with 1" pine clapboards. The heating system was replaced with a condensing gas boiler and an indirect hot water tank. Heat is baseboard hot water throughout. The ventilation is exhaust only with powerful and very quiet fans running 24/7 in each of the two bathrooms (one on each floor). The site is shaded so it needs no cooling system.
Type of Construction
New - still under construction
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
2.0
Stories
2
Location and Climate Details
Single-family residence
Address
25 Norfolk Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
United States
Location Type
Suburaban
Climate Region
Zone 5
Köppen Climate Type
Dfa
Lat. / Long.
POINT (-72.648433 42.331415)
Elevation
190 ft
Site
Site conditions: preexisting structure(s)
Site description: A 1/3 acre site in a neighborhood shaded with mature trees within walking distance (.75 mi.) of downtown Northampton, MA. The Manhan Rail Trail bike path is at the end of the short street and a large park is at the top of the street. There is sloping land toward our backyard. Beneath a few inches of topsoil throughout the neighborhood there is solid clay; the result of this part of the Connecticut River Valley occupying an ancient lakebed. The rain runs off the neighbors land into our backyard and pools there, which encouraged us to build a Hugel mound along the property line. This has helped prevent flooding in the spring (which happened in 2013 and 2014).
Materials and Design Strategy
Materials: The homeowner bought a beautiful selection of leftover hardwood flooring scraps from a local lumberyard. Local oak, ash and maple were laid upstairs and sealed with a non-toxic water-based sealer which appears to be holding up quite well. The cellulose for the project was manufactured locally, at National Fiber in Belchertown, MA. Interior paint is all non-toxic water-based. We avoid buying furniture made with formaldyhyde-treated particle board and rugs made of non-natrual fibers in order to avoid off-gassing. The landscaping includes a Hugel mound in the backyard to divert water draining from the neighbors' property during heavy storms and provides an opportunity for a green screen in lieu of a fence.
Special architectural measures: We limited glazing on the north side of the house to help with energy performance. We did not incorporate any complicated architectural details into the design -- we knew that the easiest structure to super-insulate was a simple box. However, in order to give the ranch-turned-colonial a nice look, we chose a 12 pitch roof for the attic. Additionally, although this is not an architectural detail, but because our architect is a smart guy who is well versed in efficiency measures, our architect recommended moving the heating system and indirect hot water tank from across the basement to the area directly beneath the two bathrooms. This improved comfort and efficiency, as the hot water now reaches the bathrooms almost immediately, and no water is wasted before taking a hot shower.
Completion
Occupancy
Owner-occupied. Six full-time residents spanning three generations live in this home. The two grandparents are retired, but active, spending several days per week out of the house. The children are school-aged, attending the public school during the school year. One parent works 9-5; one is an at-home caregiver.
Scope
A super-insulated second story was added above a single story, L-shaped ranch house. This included 16" of dense packed cellulose in the ceiling and 10" in the walls. The second story exterior also received 1.5" of rigid foam under the siding. On the existing first floor exterior, 1.5" of rigid foam was added under new siding. Extensive air sealing was done throughout. All windows were replaced with triple pane windows. The basement walls were insulated with 2" of rigid foam and covered with 1" pine clapboards. The heating system was replaced with a condensing gas boiler and an indirect hot water tank. Heat is baseboard hot water throughout. The ventilation is exhaust only with powerful and very quiet fans running 24/7 in each of the two bathrooms (one on each floor). The site is shaded so it needs no cooling system.
| Type of Construction | New - still under construction |
|---|---|
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Bathrooms | 2.0 |
| Stories | 2 |
Location and Climate Details
Single-family residence
| Address |
25 Norfolk Ave. Northampton, MA 01060
United States |
|---|---|
| Location Type | Suburaban |
| Climate Region | Zone 5 |
| Köppen Climate Type | Dfa |
| Lat. / Long. | POINT (-72.648433 42.331415) |
| Elevation | 190 ft |
Site
A 1/3 acre site in a neighborhood shaded with mature trees within walking distance (.75 mi.) of downtown Northampton, MA. The Manhan Rail Trail bike path is at the end of the short street and a large park is at the top of the street. There is sloping land toward our backyard. Beneath a few inches of topsoil throughout the neighborhood there is solid clay; the result of this part of the Connecticut River Valley occupying an ancient lakebed. The rain runs off the neighbors land into our backyard and pools there, which encouraged us to build a Hugel mound along the property line. This has helped prevent flooding in the spring (which happened in 2013 and 2014).
Materials and Design Strategy
The homeowner bought a beautiful selection of leftover hardwood flooring scraps from a local lumberyard. Local oak, ash and maple were laid upstairs and sealed with a non-toxic water-based sealer which appears to be holding up quite well. The cellulose for the project was manufactured locally, at National Fiber in Belchertown, MA. Interior paint is all non-toxic water-based. We avoid buying furniture made with formaldyhyde-treated particle board and rugs made of non-natrual fibers in order to avoid off-gassing. The landscaping includes a Hugel mound in the backyard to divert water draining from the neighbors' property during heavy storms and provides an opportunity for a green screen in lieu of a fence.
We limited glazing on the north side of the house to help with energy performance. We did not incorporate any complicated architectural details into the design -- we knew that the easiest structure to super-insulate was a simple box. However, in order to give the ranch-turned-colonial a nice look, we chose a 12 pitch roof for the attic. Additionally, although this is not an architectural detail, but because our architect is a smart guy who is well versed in efficiency measures, our architect recommended moving the heating system and indirect hot water tank from across the basement to the area directly beneath the two bathrooms. This improved comfort and efficiency, as the hot water now reaches the bathrooms almost immediately, and no water is wasted before taking a hot shower.