Asheville Housing Authority
Cellulose Core-fill Insulation Project
Project Information
Size: 1,200 Multifamily Units
Type: Multifamily Housing
Project Value: $585,000
Project Completion: 2011
Infrared image showing the atypical lattice framework
Drilling holes for each wall stud bay
Filling the walls with cellulose
Patching the holes and prepping for paint
Project Description
The Energy Partners completed this project as part of an energy services contract with Siemens and the Asheville Housing Authority. The scope of work provided to The Energy Partners specified attic air sealing, adding R-38 insulation to the attic, and core-filling the exterior walls with R-13 dense pack cellulose insulation for 247 multifamily housing units near downtown Asheville.
Adding wall insulation to existing walls requires drilling a hole in either the exterior siding or interior sheet-rock and pumping loose fill insulation into the walls. Typically, one hole is drilled for each section of the wall cavity between two studs. In this case it was quickly discovered that the framing was atypical because the hole filled up in a matter of seconds.
Using an infrared camera, we discovered that the walls were lattice framed with vertical members every 2 feet. This required that every wall stud section have four holes drilled to be able to fill the entire wall.
As this was a HUD project, The Energy Partners hired and trained workers from the community to meet Section-3 requirements.
Energy Conservation Measures
Attic air sealing
R-38 cellulose insulation added to attic
R-13 dense pack cellulose wall insulation
Test-in and test-out blower door testing
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