Cassandra Delli Colli and Jean-Louis Pelletier were on the same wavelength when they bought their house in Boucherville earlier this year. Both wanted to improve the energy performance of their home as soon as they took possession of it. They started by fixing the flaws hidden behind the walls.
Such a decision helps increase the value of their investment, argues Cassandra Delli Colli, who works for a financial institution. This also allows them to live in a healthy and comfortable interior, adds his partner, a mechanical engineer, who manages various mechanical systems in the factory where he works, and wants to have a quality environment at home.
They fell in love with a cottage located a street from the gentleman’s old house. Madame fell in love with the ground floor, with its open concept, recently renovated. He is very happy that the heating and air conditioning system dates from the construction of the house, in 1986. He will thus be able to replace it with a system that interests him.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Jean-Louis Pelletier and Cassandra Delli Colli plan to live in their house in Boucherville for a long time. They started taking care of it as soon as they took possession, thinking long term.
“We bought the house for a minimum of 25 years,” explains Jean-Louis Pelletier. Now is the time to invest in order to save over a longer period of time. »
We know that it currently costs $4,000 per year for heating. We asked ourselves what we could do to minimize the electricity bill, knowing that the price of electricity will increase. We might as well do it as soon as possible while there are grants and interest-free loans to help us.
Jean-Louis Pelletier, owner
A promising technology
Out of curiosity, during their purchasing process, the latter went on YouTube to see high-performance homes in the United States and Canada. He discovered AeroSeal and AeroBarrier technologies, which eliminate air leaks by sealing ducts and building envelopes.
Two months before taking possession of the house, scheduled for July 22, he contacted Aeroseal Global, in the Montreal area. He only had two days to have the work done, but he was prepared to do the required preparation himself.
“It’s easier to do when the house is empty, because you have to cover all the horizontal surfaces,” says Cassandra Delli Colli. Our friends and families helped us. »
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEAN-LOUIS PELLETIER
The owners had very little time between taking possession of the house and moving out. They protected the interior of the house themselves, with the help of their loved ones, in preparation for the work carried out to seal the ducts and the envelope of the house.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEAN-LOUIS PELLETIER
To seal the envelope of the house, an infiltrometer was installed, as in an airtightness test. On a screen, homeowners saw the amount of leaks decreasing in real time.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEAN-LOUIS PELLETIER
During the operation to seal the envelope of the house, fine particles were thrown into the air, blocking countless holes, often tiny. The process also made it possible to detect the presence of larger openings, which the owner has since sealed.
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For two days, eight of their loved ones took turns to give them a helping hand. It was necessary to protect counters, floors, stairs with large rolls of brown paper, wrap toilets, showers, faucets, door handles with plastic wrap, mask the tops of doors, etc. , on three levels (basement, ground floor, upper floor).
“We were ready to think outside the box,” says Jean-Louis Pelletier. In total, it required 100 hours of preparation, calculating everyone’s contribution, on Saturday and Sunday. »
On Monday morning, the Aeroseal Global team set about sealing the cracks in the ducts and joints, by injecting microparticles of Aeroseal glue inside. “This allowed us to obtain leaks in less than 2% of the entire system,” explains Jean-Louis Pelletier, engineer. That’s an 85% improvement! »
“Before, a lot of heat or cold was lost in the walls,” he adds. Now it goes straight into the rooms. The temperature is therefore better controlled and more stable in the house. »
Sealed envelope
The next day, it was the turn of the envelope of the house to be sealed. Once the infiltrometer was installed, as during an airtightness test, the fine particles projected blocked countless holes, often tiny. The process also made it possible to detect the presence of larger openings, which the owner has since sealed. “On a screen, we could see the size of the leaks decreasing in real time. We started with approximately 4.12 air changes per hour, with a total of 212 in.2 of holes, and we reduced that to 126.2 in.2 of holes, and 2.45 air changes per hour. That’s a 40.6% reduction in air leakage. My goal is to go below 2 air changes per hour. »
He actually wants to bring the house to the level of Novoclimat 2.0 certification. There are therefore several steps to take: change the heat pump, install a heat recovery fan, insulate the attic and the floor joists, as well as install a radon evacuation system.
An investment of approximately $40,000 is planned. According to the couple’s calculations, taking into account subsidies, energy efficiency improvements, inflation and the increase in electricity prices of 3% per year, the break-even point will be reached after 18 years. .
The comfort gained by carrying out all the work, however, is priceless.
In short
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PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
The owners love the recently renovated kitchen. They don’t plan to make any changes.
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PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
The ground floor, very open and bright, particularly appeals to Cassandra Delli Colli.
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PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
In the basement, it is still possible to see the efforts made to cover all horizontal surfaces, in order to protect them during the operation to make the house watertight.
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PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
In the basement, it is still possible to see the efforts made to cover all horizontal surfaces, in order to protect them during the operation to make the house watertight.
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- Taking possession of the house: July 22, 2023
- First work carried out: July 24-25, 2023
- Objective: bring the home to Novoclimat 2.0 level
- Total budget envisaged: approximately $40,000
- Anticipated grants: approximately $6,200
- Seal the central system piping (AeroSeal): $3,000
- Seal the envelope of the house (AeroBarrier): $9,000
- Replace the heat pump: $17,000 (anticipated grant: $5,000)
- Install a heat recovery ventilator: $7,000 (anticipated grant: $700)
- Insulate the attic (cellulose) and the edge joists (sprayed urethane): $7,000 (anticipated grant: $500)
- Install a radon evacuation system: $4,000
- Close a wall to have a mechanical part: $3000
- Estimated break-even point: in approximately 18 years
To learn more…
Would you like to learn more about energy-efficient home renovations? To launch the festivities surrounding its 30the anniversary, the magazine The House of 21e century is organizing a series of three conferences given by experts, on the theme “What to do with our old buildings”. The first conference, on October 26, will focus on insulation and waterproofing. A conference on high-efficiency heating will follow on November 9. On December 6, it will be about producing and storing your own solar electricity. The conferences will be presented free of charge at the Maison du développement durable, at 7 p.m., as well as on the web live and rebroadcast on the YouTube channel.