Bridge farm

The Bridge Farm Audit & Retrofit

About Bridge Farm

Bridge Farm consists of the main house built in 1789 and expanded over the generations, the large barn, the huge barn, the garage and apartment, the two-bedroom ‘guesthouse,’ and 28 acres of mostly open land which sits on a 2,400-foot stretch of shore on the Eastern River at Dresden Mills, Maine.

Combustion Safety Testing

Appliance Tested: Burnham V-76 #-2 oil, Baseboard distribution, Barometric draft control.

Cumbustion Appliance Zone (CAZ) Worst Case Depressurization Test (Spillage, Draft, CO)

Baseline Pressurization natural = 0.00

Baseline under worst case = 0.0

Limit -5 pa

Passed test.

Spillage at Barometric Draft with in 60 sec. of start up: Yes

Draft = -17.0 pa (should be around -11.0)

CO = 67 ppm = fail (should be no greater than 25 ppm)

Comments: Continuous spillage at overfire test hole. Barometric draft controller improperly balanced. Carbon Monoxide in flue gases above safe threshold.

Exterior Summary

Exterior grade issues along all building elevations. Water/moisture infiltation abundant.

Hole in above grade ganite foundation block seams.

Gutter down spouts improperly extended, and improperly draining.

The Energy Audit/Home Performance Analysis

Air Barrier Testing & Analysis

CFM50 = 10300

Total Leakage Area = 1030 sq. in. (32sq. in. x 32 sq. in.)

LBLn 14.58

Total Volume = 43,676

Air Change/Hour Natural (ACHn) = 0.97

Building is 177% leakier than energy efficient standards.

Thermal Boundary Analysis

Exterior Walls: 4" blown-in, loose fill cellulose (possibly rockwool) Fair installation quality Adjusted R-Value R-14

Ell Attic: 6" loosefill cellulose and rockwool, fair, R-18

Ell basement, crawlspaces and 1st floor systems: uninsulated, poor R-2

West dining bumpout floor system: 1" expanded polystyrene foamboard, poor R-4

West diningroom bumpout ceiling: 6" loosefill cellulose, fair R-10

2nd floor system main house and ell: uninsulated: poor R-3

Maine House attic: 4-5" loose fill cellulose, 5" fiberglass batts, and 2" extruded polystyrene foamboard, fair, R-31

Basement maine house, foundation walls and floor assembly above and below grade: uninsulated, poor, R-2

West sunporch floor system: uninsulated, poor R-2

West sunporch ceiling: uninsulated, poor R-2

(Post-Retrofit Test Out data coming soon.)

The Energy Efficient Retrofit

Step 1: Removal of excisting main house attic insulation, air sealing of attic floor, chimneys, and perimeter, capping the now empty floor cavities with excisting 2" extruded polystyrene, replacing attic floor boards, and dense packing empty cavities with cellulose.

In ell attic, installing removed rock wool/cellulose mix removed from main attic, air sealing chimney, other penetrations, and top plate of common wall between the two structures.

Step 2: (Main house) Removal of subordinate brick wall at foundation sill (not structural) to expose granite foundation block. Install 3' spray urethane foam over entire assembly from just below grade to the under side of sub-floor.

Step 3: In crawl spaces under dining room and north ell install vapor barrier over dirt floor. Spray urethane foam from jus t below top edge of vapor barrier to the underside of the sub-floor.

Step 4: Replace defuct basement door below bulkhead with insulated air sealed door.

Step 5: Have boiler serviced by HVAC professional.