Page 42 - Green Builder Nov-Dec 2020 Issue

De-aging gracefully. It took five years, but the Garner Street residence went from sieve-like to almost airtight, thanks to numerous cosmetic and design upgrades.
CREDIT: MAUREEN M. MAHLE

Restoration on Garner Street

This ‘fiscal cliff’ became a mountain of energy efficiency.

S MANAGING DIRECTOR of Sustainable Housing Services renovation was completed from the outside by removing the cladding.
at Steven Winter Associates, Inc. in Norwalk, Connecticut, Sheathing was retained and covered with rigid insulation, then
Maureen Mahle has certified thousands of Leadership cementitious siding. Stud cavities were lled with cold-poured cell foam,
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) homes. So, and windows were replaced with ENERGY STAR U-Š.”™ double-hungs.
A renovating and certifying her own home should be easy, right? Douglas fir floors were patched with reclaimed porch wood and
Almost. During the ve-year-long occupied gut-rehab of their ‡ˆ‡‰ home, re nished with low-emitting water-based urethane. Original deco light
Maureen, and her husband and coworker Steve, lovingly completed a high- xtures were rewired and tted with LED bulbs. The trim and doors
performing restoration in a dynamic and diverse neighborhood that is were repaired and repainted, and a dining room China closet door was
within a ‡Š-minute walk of work and the commuter rail to New York City. repurposed for an added half bath.
AŒectionately called “the scal cliŒ” during renovations, the home’s A leaky wood replace was replaced with an EPA-listed, sealed wood-
location on a steeply pitched lot provided challenges and opportunities. burning insert. The oil boiler was replaced with a condensing gas model
Rain barrels—”‡Š gallons worth—capture roof run-oŒ used to water for hydronic heat and domestic hot water. The hot water radiators were
drought-tolerant plants and food gardens. Conventional turf was replaced re-used, but with a vastly improved envelope. The radiator in the living
with “No Mow” grass, which gets cut back just twice a year with a trimmer. room was removed. A Google Nest thermostat helps anticipate and manage
Adding new retaining walls, an entry roof over the back door, drainage the high-mass, slow-response system comfortably. Vintage sinks and a
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swales, and redesigned sidewalks all drastically improved the on site refurbished environmental chamber retained heat gas range were added.
stormwater runoΠthat previously damaged the foundation. Originally, the home had no local or whole house exhaust, except
The home had “good bones” but no insulation and ine–cient windows. that the envelope leaked like a sieve—”‰.ž air changes per hour at ‰Š
Original —ooring, trim, and plaster walls were all worth saving, so the pascalsŸ(ACH‰Š) before renovations! The owners tried exhaust-only
ventilation with an e–cient bath fan, but as the home was tightened to
¢.‡ ACH‰Š, they found it stuŒy. And the range hood (with air—ow of ‡ŠŠ
cubic feet per minute) was causing a -‡‡ Pa diŒerential, a problem for
homes with replaces. So, they added an energy recovery ventilator (ERV),
and they tied the range hood switch to a through-wall, motorized fresh
air damper. Stu–ness and odors were much improved, and the potential
for backdraft from the replace was signi cantly reduced.
Before renovations, the home had a Home Energy Rating System
(HERS) index score of ഢ. After renovations, the HERS score dropped
to ‰ˆ. Natural gas usage was reduced from ”,¦ŠŠ therms per year to just
žŠŠ. In addition, Maureen and Steve have reduced water usage by ¦Š
percent, as compared to the baseline home, and cut CO” emissions by
Cooling down. Heat management was improved throughout the
home by replacing or remodeling less-efficient appliances, and ¢,ŠŠŠ pounds annually.
adding new technology, such as a smart thermostat and an Ultimately, the residence received LEED v¦ Platinum certi cation.
According to Mahle, while the process was rigorous and taxing, the
energy recovery ventilator (ERV). CREDIT: MAUREEN M. MAHLE
family is comfortable and happy in their “new,” high-performing home.

40 GREEN BUILDER November/December 2020 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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