This document discusses weatherization opportunities and challenges for Cape style homes. It describes Green Needham and Next Step Living weatherizing over 500 homes since 2012, saving homeowners an average of $500 per year. Key areas to focus on include the attic cap, knee wall area, and slopes of upstairs rooms. Installing foam board and spray foam in knee walls and dense packing cellulose in knee wall floors can insulate and air seal. Replacing single pane windows and attic/wall hatches also improves efficiency. Heat pumps and high-efficiency heating systems are eligible for 0% interest loans.

1. Weatherizing
Cape Style
Homes
1. Identifying Weatherization
Opportunities and
Challenges in a Cape.
2. Using Mass Save to make
these homes more energy
efficient!

2. Green Needham
Collaborative
Since 2012, Green Needham and Next Step
Living have:
 Signed up 1,089 residents for home
energy assessments
 Almost 600 scheduled assessments, and
500 were completed in 2012
 These assessments resulted in 162
weatherization jobs, which saved
homeowners on average $500/year

3. Mass Save

4. Cape Style Home
Weatherization Areas
To Focus On
 Attic Cap
 Knee Wall Area
 Slopes of the
Upstairs rooms

5. WEATHERIZATION
A comfortable, safe, and energy-efficient home requires
Continuous thermal boundaries and air barriers that are in contact
with one another. (US.DOE)

6. Typical Cape Attic
3
1

7. #1 Kneewall
 Typically Insulated
with fiberglass or
nothing at all
 Even though
insulation is
present, air
movement around
insulation and
thermal breaks

8. Knee Wall Application
 Adding Foam
Board (Polyiso) on
top of existing
insulation
 Sealed with spray
foam
 Insulates and Air
Seal

9. #2 KWL Floor and Transition
 Typically the KWL
Floor is not
insulated
 KWL transition
extends 2 feet into
living space

10. KWL Floor Application
 Dense Pack the
Floor and Transition
with Blown in
Cellulose
 Holes are drilled in
floor, hose delivers
insulation, holes are
sealed up KWL area treatment often
improves more than one
room: the adjacent bedroom
and the living space below!

11. Attic Cap and Slopes(#3/4)
 Challenge: Attic Caps
with Low head room,
cant insulate properly
 Opportunity: Attic
5
spaces with 5
dimensioned "5 - 5 - 5".
The slopes can be 5
treated from the KWL
area and insulation
can be added to the
cap without access.

12. Attic or Wall Hatches
An uninsulated attic
hatch is a gap in the
attic’s thermal boundary.
Air Barrier
Thermal Boundary

14. Insulating Wall Hatches and
Attic Hatches
www.oldhouseweb.
com

15. Ventilation Types
 Mushroom Vent  Gable Vents
 Roof Vent  Soffit vents
 Ridge vent

16. Ventilation
 Bath fans Improperly
vented will cause
moisture problems in
attic
 Will also recommend
adding an insulated
ventilation pipe
cover. Why?
 1sf of ventilation for
every 300sf of attic
space (not a big
problem in capes)
Propavents

17. Heat Loan Helps Support
 HighEfficiency Heating Systems: Oil
Customers can save 40-50% in heating
costs by switching
 SinglePane to Double Pane Windows
Conversion: Least Cost Effective energy
efficiency option, but may be necessary
with older homes

18. Heat Pumps
Ductless mini-split heating and cooling
systems are covered by the 0% interest
heat loan!
Why use a Total Climate Control:
• CONTROL: Room-by-room heating and cooling in a single unit
• AIR QUALITY: Filtered air circulation that improves indoor air
quality
• SAVINGS: Up to 40% less expensive to heat your home than oil
and more efficient cooling than central air or window units
• EASY INSTALL: No duct work or need to remove your current
heating system

19. The Total Climate Control System Integrates Into Your Home’s Decor

20. ENERGY EFFICIENT
WINDOWS
 Replacing single pane
windows is covered
under the 0% interest
HEAT loan

21. Questions and Comments
Michael Cucchiara
Community Programs Manager
Next Step Living
917-612-9190
Michael.cucchiara@nextstepliving.com