Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation invited E3 to take a look at Eldora Place renovation just as the rough-ins were being installed. We identified multiple areas where careful execution of air sealing and insulation could significantly improve the efficiency of the building envelope. We were exceptionally happy to see the results pictured in the gallery below.
Air sealing detailing, high quality installation of insulation, and additional Polyiso foam board with taped seams in this finished attic home will likely make a wonderful difference for both comfort and the future homeowner’s pocketbook.
We particularly like the following features that comprise the “Class I” insulation installation quality:
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Insulation completely fills the cavity and is in contact with building components on all six sides of the cavity.
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There are no gaps in the insulation anywhere.
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Narrow spaces are filled with mineral wool rather than fiberglass batts—mineral wool can be tightly compressed to fit into small spaces without losing insulation value.
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There is insulation behind pipes, electrical boxes, and HVAC ducts.
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Fiberglass batts are split to fit behind and in front of electrical wires, fully filling the entire stud cavity without voids.
The basement ceiling height prevented installation of the hot water heat pump (which requires more than 6′), hence this home will have an instantaneous gas hot water heater by Navien. The unit’s efficiency is 95%, compared to a typical 58% efficiency for gas hot water tanks.
A few illustrations of the details at this Eldora Pl project:
