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Dusty Victorian in Tucson
Kristen Lake contacted Talbott at American Western of Arizona with complaints about her early 1900s Victorian home in Tucson, AZ. The energy bills during the summer and winter seemed extremely high, the house was constantly dusty and air quality was low, and in general the home was uncomfortable.
ENERGY AUDIT RESULTS
When Talbott did the initial energy audit he discovered many substantial issues. There was no floor insulation in the basement and the old fireplace was causing massive leaks since it was completely open. The home’s metal ducts had rusted out and were not insulated. The contractor who replaced the knob and tube wiring did not replace all of it in the attic, which was a hazard. The attic insulation had been incorrectly installed and was not doing its job. There were holes in the ductwork and penetrations where mechanical systems went through the ceiling and into the home. With all these issues, it’s no surprise that the homeowner was uncomfortable and spending too much on monthly energy bills.
SOLUTIONS
Talbott and his team were able to make major improvements to the home’s comfort and efficiency. They fixed the air barrier issues that had been causing high bills and an inefficient system. They fully insulated the attic and floors and added an essential vapor barrier. To balance the pressure they added pressure relief in bedroom doors and sealed the ductwork throughout the house. Talbott's whole-house approach to home performance work included air sealing and insulation in the attic. Extensive air and duct sealing was installed and the team repaired the older system to make sure the conditioned air was getting to the living spaces where it was needed.
PROJECT OUTCOME
Talbott's whole-house approach to the initial energy audit and the work resulted in a significant improvement in energy efficiency and an immediate improvement in comfort. The insulation and air sealing created a space that was easier to cool and distributed fresh air to the spaces that were insufficiently serviced. The upgrades not only allowed Mrs. Lake to save on her monthly energy bills, but she’s also much more comfortable in her home.
TESTIMONIAL
"American Western sealed, insulated, and completed efficiency tests (blower door test and infrared camera) on my 97-year old house. Upon completion of the work, I noticed that my house was much more comfortable. I can now set my thermostat at a comfortable temperature without worrying about my gas and electric bills. Prior to hiring American Western, I had estimates done by three companies. I hired American Western because their assessment of my house was more detailed and they were willing to insulate my floors. That required that they work from the crawl space! I was not disappointed in their work. They obviously care about doing a good job and paid attention to details throughout the project. At one point they stopped working because they discovered that electrical upgrades that had been done in my attic were done incorrectly. This allowed me to resolve these potentially dangerous problems before insulation was blown in. I was also impressed with their honesty and willingness to show me what they were doing at all stages of work. When they discovered that they couldn't access the kitchen crawl space, they advised me of the situation and were willing to show me exactly what the problem was. I feel confident that they understood the intricacies of working on an older home and worked to get me the best results. If I needed any further work done on my home, I wouldn't hesitate to call them."
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