[Greenbuilding] upgrading a 1959 1800 sf building in Montreal

[Sam Ewbank]

On Fri, Apr 29, 2011 at 3:42 PM, Kat <molasses at q.com> wrote:

> #1 thing I would do?  Blower door test and air sealing.  Everything else
> comes after.  Not much point in insulating if you're leaking.
>
> #2: dense-pack cellulose in an unvented ceiling assembly is not a good idea
> without mechanical ventilation and might not be a good idea even then,
> particularly if you don't have vapor-impermeable insulation in the assembly
> next to the sheathing.
>
Not to mention if the roof frame can take the additional snow loading.  We
had a public works barn ceiling collapse after having  cellulose blown into
the walls and attic.  We were lucky no one was hurt and no fire started.

>
> -Kat
>
> Stewart Abbey wrote:
>
>> I recently purchased a 30'x60' building built in 1959. A 20x20 garage with
>> a room above exposed on three sides.  Crawl space with 2 floors and a flat
>> roof.  Exterior is brick in good shape.  Tar and gravel roof was redone in
>> 2008.  Some windows have been changed, about 2/3rds are the the 1960,s
>> screw-on aluminum guillotine type that leak like a sieve!!   Oil fired hot
>> water heat (with original cast iron boiler probably 60% efficient).  One
>> heating zone for each floor. Main floor has 3 apartments,  2nd floor has 2
>>  41/2room apartments.  Heating loops all pass though the crawl space.  Walls
>> are 2x4 construction and would have the standard of the day 3" of rockwool
>> or fiberglass.
>> Oil consumption was 5700 liters in 2010, and 5000 liters in 2011=$4500
>>
>>    Last fall I had the crawlspace walls and rim joists blown with 21/2" of
>> foam.  Installed plastic on the crawlspace floor.
>>    The 2 second floor apartments will be empty next month.   I'm thinking
>> of blowing densepack cellulose into the 2x10 flat roof cavity from the
>> inside through 3" holes in the gyproc. The current ceiling insulation is 3"
>> rockwool or fiberglass.  COST $5000+ plastering.  The cost seems a lot but I
>> know it is a slow job to do right.  The contractor says 1 1/2 days per unit.
>>     We are probably getting gas on the street this summer and I am
>> considering going to a 98% efficient
>> gas condensing boiler. That alone should cut the heating bill by 50%. Gas
>> is 93 cents per cubic meter.
>> At the same time we would add zones so each unit would have it's own zone
>> and thermostat.
>> I am not planning on doing major renovations as the building is sound and
>> well built.
>>
>> Anyone have advice on where to get the most bang for the buck?
>> Stewart Abbey
>>
>>
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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>
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