Massachusetts Stretch Code

[Ted S.]

I don't know how many of you are in MA, but we seam to have a major change going into affect. As of July 1st, 2010, we have a rigorous new energy code requiring a HERS score of 65. To give you are reference, a building built to code has a HERS Score of 100, and an Energy Star labeled home has a score of 85, its like a golf score, the lower the better, and now suddenly everyone, even the worst of hackers, must be playing scratch basically overnight.

As much as I look forward to building business based on energy efficiency, I just can't quite grasp the magnitude of this change. It will govern lighting selections, appliances, windows will all need to be high performance, continuous exterior insulation will be required much of the time, the buildings will need to be super tight, yet the requirements for combustion saftey and proper IAQ are somewhat lax when compared to the sealing and insulating of the envelope.

This is going to be interesting, this is a real game changer. Basically everyone is going to have to build super tight and traditional methods and now gone. Even the HVAC is going to have some crazy requirements, you are basically going to have to bring all the duct work inside.

I'm not sure if they know what they got themselves into here.

[David Meiland]

Don't worry, the NAHB will come out swinging. Plan on a tax increase to pay for more state's attorneys to deal with it.

[Ted S.]

NAHBs stance on this one would be interesting, they are supporting energy efficiency with their national green building standard, but now here in MA many inspectors are rejecting permits in the Strect Code jurisdictions until they get something from a HERS rater certifying the building will meet code, I think NAHB would oppose that?

I will just sit in the back row of this one with a bag of Doritos and see how it shakes out. It's not going to be pretty.

[David Meiland]

Your credentials are safe as long as they are low-carb, low-salt, organic gluten-free Doritos manufactured by a small, locally owned business using regional inputs.

[Dick Seibert]

Ted:

It's interesting that a Texas building inspector has come up with the idea to start a business "unsealing" homes and is questioning the leaglity of such a business.

New home retrofit business (unsealing homes)?

Providing of course, that you could re-educate homeowners who have purchased sealed homes; is there any law against "unsealing them" after they have been purchased?

I realize that there would have to be some research into the best methods; and, would be impractical in some new homes; but, for most homes couldn't it be done at a reasonable cost?

Just a few (off the cuff) thoughts:

1. Target wall stud spaces that have water lines in them.

2. Remove seals around electrical outlets.

3. Install grill covered openings (very small) in lower section of walls and drill holes in top plates and install piping to extend above insulation; to allow the movement of air.

Along with the above idea; investigate, and test interior manufactured products for toxins; such as marble counter tops for radon, and furniture, carpeting, imitation wood flooring, etc. for toxic chemicals.

Yep, your right; I leaped before I looked. "Permits, R105.1 Required"; is worded to include any alterations to any code requirement.

I suppose the only thing that could be done is; go to the HOBB, HADD and other pro-safe-homes websites and provide instructions on how to make your home safe from government required sealing.

The Government has given itself the right to force human beings to live in sealed containers.¹

And he is getting responses like this:

If a homeowner "unseals" the house / home to accommodate their needs, so what? I think that their health would have primary importance vs. what Uncle Sam dictates. Most all of the trendy Green Building wave is a big sham hiding the political, self serving interests of a few.¹

And this:

Wasn't it Thoreau who said that when a man builds a house he is just making a box to die in? ¹

In another thread on the same sick home problem:

When we are talking about sealing a home, I don't think anyone is considering anything close to 'hermetically sealed' as in some European new construction, where it's so tight they don't need a furnace because they capture all the heat they need via solar gain, and other sources within the home. The most recent article I read talked about non-openable windows, and controlled ventilation. The gist of it: if you want fresh aire, go outside. Which is what everyone should do more of! However, the requirement for .35 ACH would give you eight complete air changes in a home over 24 hours. The home owners are the ones who disable the ventilation, which leads to sick buildings and sick people. If the heating equipment is correctly sized [not way over what is required] the furnace should run almost constantly under some conditions, and that is where the efficiency of the equipment kicks in. Short cycling of equipment is one of the chief culprits in high energy bills. But the general public is spoiled: I want it warm, now; I want it cool, now. In the old days, I had to stoke the wood stove first thing in the morning, and it took a little while for the house to warm up. What's wrong with that? Nothing. Why would we expect anything different with an automated furnace. It takes time for the exchange of heat and cooling. OK... ranting done. Sorry. ²

I don't agree with this, it is a real problem here in areas with green codes, I think the public just has to be educated to open windows all the time. The real problem is people with allergies who can't open windows, I know of one CBO who is advising sick people in new homes to sell their homes and try to find good 50 year-old homes and judiciously remodel them without toxic materials. My mechanical contractor is getting so many requests to disable mechanical ventilation systems he thinks there should be a law enabling people with doctors' certificates to build new homes without complying with the new codes. That's not going to work, just look at the people who get doctors' certificates for disabled parking placards.

I think that the coming business model for contractors, promote yourself as a healthy building contractor who uses all natural building products and doesn't seal up homes, new construction is going to be very hard with the codes in place, but relatively easy with remodeling existing homes. That is what I am doing now, leave the maximum of the old homes standing to qualify as a remodel, not a new home or a "rebuild", it's considerably more expensive since remodeling is by it's nature much slower than building new, but probably the only way to produce a healthy home.

I thought the only downside of sealed up homes was rotting walls, this whole sick building syndrome caught me by surprise, we should have known with the sick building syndrome of the 80s when they sealed up office buildings.



¹ http://www.inspectpa.com/phpbb/showt...aling-homes%29
² http://www.inspectpa.com/phpbb/showt...R-DOOR-TEST-or

[ThingOfBeauty]

Ted,
You're probably both right and wrong.
65 isn't that big of a challenge in most designs. But so much of the industry just doesn't even have a way to know what to change and how to explain it to all the trade contractors.

I was just in two meetings in one day. One, our rater was giving us the certificate for a large house with a 50 HERS rating, 2.3 ACH50. The other, our local building permit office was whining about the 2009 IECC we've just adopted, which includes a version of the Thermal Bypass Checklist from Energy Star. He actually said it would be nearly impossible to pass! So...it's both not that challenging if you are a dedicated craftperson, and also, many will find it challenging, I guess.

[Overbuilders]

Go west, young man. Just not all the way to Cali. We're free-wheelin' it here in the mile high.

I will just sit in the back row of this one with a bag of Doritos and see how it shakes out. It's not going to be pretty.

You sound like a contractor wholly unaffected by RRP.

[BuildinginB'ham]

Ted:

It's interesting that a Texas building inspector has come up with the idea to start a business "unsealing" homes and is questioning the leaglity of such a business.

And he is getting responses like this:

And this:

In another thread on the same sick home problem:

I don't agree with this, it is a real problem here in areas with green codes, I think the public just has to be educated to open windows all the time. The real problem is people with allergies who can't open windows, I know of one CBO who is advising sick people in new homes to sell their homes and try to find good 50 year-old homes and judiciously remodel them without toxic materials. My mechanical contractor is getting so many requests to disable mechanical ventilation systems he thinks there should be a law enabling people with doctors' certificates to build new homes without complying with the new codes. That's not going to work, just look at the people who get doctors' certificates for disabled parking placards.

I think that the coming business model for contractors, promote yourself as a healthy building contractor who uses all natural building products and doesn't seal up homes, new construction is going to be very hard with the codes in place, but relatively easy with remodeling existing homes. That is what I am doing now, leave the maximum of the old homes standing to qualify as a remodel, not a new home or a "rebuild", it's considerably more expensive since remodeling is by it's nature much slower than building new, but probably the only way to produce a healthy home.

I thought the only downside of sealed up homes was rotting walls, this whole sick building syndrome caught me by surprise, we should have known with the sick building syndrome of the 80s when they sealed up office buildings.



¹ http://www.inspectpa.com/phpbb/showt...aling-homes%29
² http://www.inspectpa.com/phpbb/showt...R-DOOR-TEST-or

Perhaps it would be cheaper to install an ERV or and HRV. Of course they have plastic in them so they probably wouldn't be allowed in any of your houses.

[Ted S.]

Ted,
You're probably both right and wrong.
65 isn't that big of a challenge in most designs. But so much of the industry just doesn't even have a way to know what to change and how to explain it to all the trade contractors.

I was just in two meetings in one day. One, our rater was giving us the certificate for a large house with a 50 HERS rating, 2.3 ACH50. The other, our local building permit office was whining about the 2009 IECC we've just adopted, which includes a version of the Thermal Bypass Checklist from Energy Star. He actually said it would be nearly impossible to pass! So...it's both not that challenging if you are a dedicated craftperson, and also, many will find it challenging, I guess.

I hope your right TOB. It's not been my experience to get to a HERS 65 without some significant effort and upgraded mechanicals, but I have seen many get to the 85 pretty easily. I go to get a set of drawings today from a builder who was rejected for permit. And so it begins.

[Ted S.]

You sound like a contractor wholly unaffected by RRP.

RRP? What channel is that on?