My Home Is Weatherized by Pros, Part 1

On Friday, after the big storm, 2 great guys from the Foundation for Senior Living(FSL) began the process of weatherizing my home.  No, I'm not a senior, but FSL apparently has the contract in Arizona to provide weatherization services to AZ homeowners who qualify for assistance through the Low Income Weatherization Program, which received a funding boost through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or "stimulus package" passed last year.  I'll leave the politics to others and focus on my experience with the program, which is ongoing at this point.

I met with a city employee last October and provided a massive amount of documentation proving that I own my home, it's my primary residence, I'm a legal citizen, and my household income is low enough to qualify me for assistance.  The great recession has impacted my day job enough, in the form of reduced hours and reduced hourly pay, to meet that last qualification.  Joe and Ken, the pros with FSL, mentioned that they are weatherizing a surprising number of homes in Scottsdale lately - no doubt also due to the recession.

It took about 3 months until FSL called to set up my initial appointment.  Joe and Ken were puctual, courteous, and knowledgeable.  Upon arriving, they explained that they would perform a blower door test, inspect the attic insulation and HVAC system and then schedule subcontractors to perform any necessary and allowable work.  Joe mentioned that a lot of clients expect to get new windows and doors and are upset when they find out  these high dollar items are not part of the service.  I would suggest that FSL have the person who calls the client to schedule the initial visit should run down a checklist of information so everyone is on the same page.  I had to ask quite a few questions during that first call to even find out that the initial appointment is for inspection only.  I should have been informed about the whole process, including what kind of work could or could not be performed.

The blower door test apparently revealed very little, if any duct leakage, and my house isn't sealed so tightly that any air quality issues would result.  Good news there, and peace of mind.  Safety is an aspect of weatherization I hadn't previously thought of; Joe explained that a poorly sealed connection from the house to the garage could lead to carbon monoxide issues.  Again, my house scored well.

Next came the always dreaded attic adventure.  They told me my blown-in cellulose was inconsistently applied, and they would have an insulating contractor put some more in - excellent!  They were also looking for places where hot or cold air could infiltrate down inside interior walls - they found a few and assured me they would be addresses as well.   I had asked their opinion of radiant barriers earlier, Ken laughed from another room, and Joe said they usually remove them and focus on the insulation.  He said they tend to stop working over time (from dirt build up maybe?) and sometimes prevent the insulation from working correctly.  I found their response unsatisfying, but didn't push the subject.

After inspecting the attic, they climbed on the roof and showed me some missing shingles, which I replaced the next day.  They offered me shade screens for sun struck windows, but I don't need them due to my home's orientation and my pergola that I built last year.

The inspection took about 2 hours, and at the end they explained that a subcontractor would call me next week to schedule the work, which will include duct sealing, fixing an improperly installed bathroom fan, upgrading the attic insulation, and painting the elbow on my roof AC unit a reflective white.  Once all that work is done a team from FSL will return to run the blower door test again and they will give me 12 filters for my AC/heater and a smoke alarm.  They were going to give me 8 CFL bulbs, but I declined, explaining that I've already replaced all my bulbs with CFL's or LED's.

It was an informative experience and I look forward to all the work that should be happening soon.

To be continued...