Energy efficiency

Someone asked if we've made energy efficiency upgrades to the house. We have upgraded the efficiency of the farmhouse a great deal.

• There was no insulation before, and now it is very well insulated with spray foam on all walls and batting in the attic, with a little poured insulation behind a wall of 1920s kitchen cabinets we’re restoring.
• There is now a vapor barrier under the drywall on the top floor. The windows were vinyl and about 10 years old, so we’re keeping those, but have tightened up the installation to prevent gaps and air leaks.
• We replaced the old wood doors with energy efficient steel doors.
• For now we’re keeping the fuel oil furnace (only 2 years old), but a high-efficiency model and/or an outdoor wood burner are in our future plans when we can save for them.
• The house has all new duct work, which should make the distribution of heat more efficient.
• Just yesterday we picked up a new water heater from our electric co-op through their program that gives us a monthly credit in exchange for them putting a control on it.
• We’ll be buying a new water softener and dishwasher, and we’ll purchase energy efficient models.

Getting the water heater into the house was a real challenge for Bob yesterday. He called me to tell me it's basically the size of a small refrigerator. I had no idea. The co-op lifted it onto the truck with a forklift. He and Pat wrestled it off the truck and into the house with a dolley. Today they'll get it into the basement, with hopefully no steps that lead to hernia surgery or cracked skulls.