As part of the Craftsbury Energy Committee's spring home energy tour series, builder Matt Moody will be giving a tour of the Fountain home, his recent energy-efficient new build in Albany, VT. The tour of the home, which is located just over the Craftsbury/Albany town line at 1529 Lost Nation Road, will be at 10 AM on Saturday, May 11. All are welcome to attend.
The home, which was designed by architect Naomi Darling, is a high-performance 2600 sq. ft., 1 bedroom, 2-level home, with a fully finished basement. The Fountain home was the first house in VT to use a new air-sealing method, called AeroBarrier, which seals all the gaps by pressurizing the house and spraying a fine mist of acrylic sealant. Murphy's Cell Tech, out of St. Johnsbury, was the installer. The process made this one of the tightest houses in VT. According to Moody, "Air sealing is vital for efficiency, because no matter how much insulation you put into a house, it will not be useful unless you can keep the building from leaking air through tiny gaps in the walls, roof, and foundation."
For more info on AeroBarrier, go to: http://www.greenenergytimes.org/2019/03/18/aerobarrier-an-air-sealing-system-that-fills-the-gaps/
Other features of the construction are 2x8 wall construction with sprayed cellulose and ZipR foam insulation on the outside, for a total wall R-value of 35. The roof has an R-value of 50 and a unique construction: the overhangs are framed over the top of the insulation and air-sealing, so that the rafters don't create breaks in the thermal envelope of the building. The house is heated with a Mitsubishi 3-head mini split heat pump, along with supplemental baseboard electric heat and a small Jotul wood stove. A Broan heat recovery ventilator supplies efficient ventilation. All other appliances are energy star certified.
Matt has been a self employed carpenter in VT since 1999, with over 25 years experience in the building trades. In 1998 he studied as an apprentice at the Heartwood School in Washington, MA, where the main focus was on timber framing using traditional joinery techniques to build house frames. In 2016 he was the lead carpenter for Dan Roock and Kristen Fountain's new home, which is next door to the current project. This summer he and his family will be building their own high efficiency, off grid home in Craftsbury Common, VT. Matt says, "I enjoy carpentry because the profession is always evolving with new things to learn. I am continuously searching for ways to make better, more comfortable, energy efficient buildings."
A representative from Efficiency Vermont will also be on hand to answer questions.
The last home tour of the six tours will be Sat., 5/18 @ 10 AM, 670 Cemetery Ridge Rd., Greensboro. For more info go to:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hJwhVOHW1P2omTob_YigW2hFj10uU9wSijpbaa_ziGU/edit
For more information about the tours, or to be on their email contact list, contact: Craftsburyenergycommittee@gmail.com