saving energy and money with insulation project at federated church in morris, mn

This “leaky”

old church.

Federated Insulation Project

Beautiful natural wood ceiling in the sanctuary

Three views of

the Federated

Church icicle

show!

Shingle

damage from

heat loss.

Old shingles

showing

signs of heat

loss.

External view

Internal view

Bare sheetrock

Open concrete block wall

Some fiberglass batting insulation

No insulation continuity

Mold Under the Shingles.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Back Side of Sanctuary from attic

No Insulation on original assembly!

Condensation Staining on Roof deck From

Heat Loss, Lack of Ventilation, near sanctuary.

More Moisture/Mold on Roof Sheathing, near sanctuary.

Only five vents installed during previous construction

Interior water damage and air leaks

Our Goal! •Cut Heating and cooling Expenses by 50%

•Protect the Structure from further damage

resulting from heat loss due to:

1.Lack of ventilation

2.Poorly or non-insulated thermal boundaries.

Why This Happened? •Poor design for this climate Zone

•Previous contractors lacked Building Science

background to solve these complex and

layered problems.

•Complex Thermal Boundary.

•Hidden Thermal Boundaries.

Shingle removal and replacement

blown in bat insulation

External blown in bat insulation

Interior foam insulation

Retro foam installation in concrete block wall

Closed cell

polyurethane foam

Open cell tri-

polymer resin

plus foam agent

Used over the sanctuary

on the outside of the

original roof

Used to fill the hollow

concrete block walls along

the west side of the church

2 x 6 stud installation for external foam

Exterior foam insulation – close up

Exterior foam insulation

Exterior foam installation

Roof sheeting over foam

70 new roof vents!

5 ineffective vents before

Total 162 vents after

70 roof vents

60 soffit vents

20 gable vents

12 window vents

Total 162 vents installed

Energy audit “leak

tests” before and after

insulation, ventilation,

and sealing showed a

58% reduction, a big

contributor to reducing

energy loss.

42 years of energy loss and poor

ventilation corrected by creatively

retrofitting insulation saving about

$5000 per year in energy costs!