Chris and Martha Byrnes knew that their nearly century-old Hunter Park house was pretty drafty. The exterior was starting to show the years, too. “We were at the point that the siding was so old, you’d touch it and it would come off in your hands,” says Chris Byrnes. Clearly they needed a solution beyond new paint and some caulk. What they got from Better World Builders was a “deep energy retrofit” and a whole new way to live in their home.

Failing paint was exposing Chris and Martha Byrnes' Upper Congdon home to weather damage.

Attic air leaks stopped

It all started with a call to Better World Builders (BWB), a local company certified in green remodeling and construction. Leon Roharbaugh and Pete Dingels came out with their blower door – a diagnostic tool that measures airtightness and pinpoints leaks. They set up a large fan to create pressure and force air through any gaps. They passed a lighted smoke pencil (like stick incense) near suspect areas, and drafts caused by the air leaks drove lines of smoke to the fan. “They waved it in front of our windows and by the chimney, even our storage cubbies, and we just watched this stream of smoke get sucked toward the fan,” says Martha. “It was wild to just see how much cold air was coming in.”

Air leaks located with the blower door test are sealed with expanding foam sealant and rigid foam insulation cut to fit open joist cavities in the crawlspace.

The priority was making the upstairs more comfortable – the kids were balking at sleeping in the cold bedrooms. This meant the BWB crew had to tear into a third floor remodel to access inside the wall cavities. “I’m the skinniest one so I’d get shoved into these little holes in wall with all my tools,” says Leon. “But to do it right, you just have to get inside there and seal it up.”

Phase 2: Exterior Insulation

Just making the upstairs more efficient changed the airflow in the entire house and ultimately inspired the Byrnes family to tackle the outside of the home in a big way. “We literally framed a house directly over their existing house,” explains Leon. The crew screwed in furring strips to the exterior, laid insulation, sealed it with spray foam, applied house wrap and then reframed all the windows before applying a fiber cement siding product manufactured with recycled products. While they were at it they replaced 14 windows, a set of French doors and put on a new roof.

Now, “The house just feels different, more solid,” says Martha. The Byrnses already see a difference in their energy bills, but the biggest change is how the family lives in the house. “We used to spend the winter huddled around this little heater in the kitchen,” says Chris, “now we put a table in the dining room and use it.” They also ordered some comfortable chairs to add to their front room. “We hardly had any furniture in this room before because we were never in it. Now it’s where we all hang out,” says Martha. “We’ve got a whole new pattern to living in the house.”

Noah assembles one of the cedar timber supports for the Byrnes' outdoor room.

Bonus: outdoor room

Rarely can homeowners resist adding on additional projects when there’s a construction crew on hand. Martha had always wanted an outdoor room for entertaining and asked Leon about adding a decorative awning to the side of their house. “I think it was early the next morning or the day after that he’s at our kitchen table with all these design ideas sketched out,” says Chris. “He was really into it,” adds Martha, seeming a little suspect of anyone that excited at 7:30 in the morning.

The Byrnes hosted a party under their new awning when their remodel was done. “We had everyone over who had worked on the project,” says Chris.

“We’re really proud of that job,” says Pete. “That they feel good in their home is just what we love to hear.” It’s why he and Leon specialize in the challenging field of green remodeling and will animatedly explain all the theories and math behind their work with big hand gestures and pencil drawings on napkins. “We could just be another company building new houses,” says Leon, “or we could be out there doing something really ahead of the curve.”

The Byrnes' Upper Congdon traditional is set for another century.

It’s a hip thing — even the President thinks insulation is sexy — but the Byrneses will just tell you they’re living comfortably in their “new” old home.