Energy upgrades

Foundation

I excavated around the perimeter of the house to a depth of 2’ and insulated with 3 to 4 inches of EPS foam which I took up past the bottom sill plate 12-20 inches.
Inspected the stud cavities and fix any issues while at the same time eliminating any drafts at the lower levels of the house.
I also sprayed 1200 board feet of polyurethane R7 foam on the inside of the exposed block walls in both crawl spaces. This further sealed the foundation from the footing to the top of the rim board. Pretty tight. The R value in these areas exceeds what you’ll find on most new homes.

I blew 16+ inches of cellulose into the lower roof and high roof attic spaces. With the existing insulation, that space is likely R70 or more.

The walls, of course, are 2x4. So in 2023, a high dollar energy and siding upgrade included:

Removed all of the siding.
Installed 2” of EPS pink foam (R10): Every joint and seam was caulked with silicone. Every crack, hole, and window install was foamed and sealed.
Replaced fixed windows with TRIPLE pane low e glass with a 5/8” airspace (Alaska style).
All windows and doors foamed, caulked and sealed.
Re-sided with new vinyl siding and caulked again.

All electric, simple, and maintenance free heat.
Installed 3 energy efficience heat pump mini-splits
Mini splits also provide air condition throughtout the house.
Installed 2 50 gallon hybrid heat pump hot water heaters: 1 for each side of the house.
Installed a basement fan on a humidistat for 3 season ventilation. This isn’t really needed because the to hybrid hot water heaters dehumidify the air and keep the basement cool. It could be used to circulate fresh air and pump in warm air in the summer if desired.