Final performance testing was completed at the Concord Cape on September 2, 2010. Testing included HVAC system flows at different modes (comfort cooling, maximum cooling, high furnace, low furnace and fan), room pressurization, HRV intake and exhaust flows, DHW wait time and drainwater heat recovery. Follow-up will include installing an eMonitor and collecting and analyzing utility bills.

Additional performance testing was done on June 14th, 2010 shortly after the home became occupied. Room pressurization, house depressurization, bath fan exhaust flows and hot water wait time in the bathrooms were all tested and found to be acceptable. Landscaping in the front yard is underway. More performance testing will be scheduled in the fall.

A blower door test was done today at the Concord Cape. Below are the test results:

- 505 CFM 50 with a target of 1203 CFM 50

- 0.7 ACH 50 with a target of 2.6 ACH 50

- 0.06 CFM 50 per square foot surface area (leak ratio) with a target of 0.15 leak ratio

With exceptional airtightness expected, the blower door test was done using a duct blaster with Ring 1 installed.

The air barrier on the Concord Cape is a combination of specifically installed materials. While the main air barrier was achieved using the Airtight Drywall Approach, a secondary air barrier was achieved through the taping and adhering of the insulating sheathing boards to both the exterior of the wood framed walls and the interior of the concrete foundation walls. Spray foam was used at the rim joists of the first and second floors as well as around the dormers. All windows and doors were sealed to the wall framing as well as to the drywall in order to ensure airtightness targets were achieved.

The finish work is well underway on the Concord Cape. The pre-painted fiber cement siding was not the exact color the homeowner wanted, so the house was painted the desired color. The trim has also been painted the first coat of white paint. Fill has been brought in to raise the grade in both the front and the back of the house.

On the interior, paint colors have been chosen and more tile work continues in the bathrooms. Finish carpentry work including window and door trim, crown moulding and wood floor installation continues.

Final performance testing of the home is tentatively scheduled for the end of April, with the homeowner moving into the home in May.

On the exterior of the house, fiber cement siding installation is complete, the brick veneer chimneys have been built, and the blue stone has been set on top of the masonry window wells. On the interior, crown moulding and base trim are being installed, stone tile has been installed in the mudroom, entry bath and closet, and tile has been installed in both the basement bath and second floor bath.

Performance testing of the home is tentatively scheduled for mid-April before construction wraps up at the end of April.

The pre-painted fiber cement siding and trim is about 90% complete, the garage doors have been installed and the PV panels making up the 7.05 kW PV array have been installed on the roof racks. On the interior, the dense pack cellulose wall cavity insulation has been blown in. The interior blue board and plaster has also been completed. The blue board was adhered to the wall framing (and attic floor framing on the second floor ceiling) to create an interior air barrier.

Yet before the blue board and plaster were installed, air leakage (blower door) and duct leakage (duct blaster) tests were performed. The results of these rough-in tests indicate that the house is well on its way to meeting an airtightness goal of 1.5 sq in leakage area per 100 sf envelope. Final tests will be performed before the homeowner moves into the house.

On the exterior of the home, finish work is underway including installation of the siding and trim, framing of the chimneys, and preparing for the installation of the 7.05 kW PV system by installing the roof racks.

On the interior of the home, rough-in for electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems is almost complete. Sheet metal ductwork has been installed and sealed with mastic to reduce air leakage from the system. The electrical panels, interior partitions and windows have also been installed in the basement.

Spray foam insulation is in the process of being installed at the first and second floor rim joist as well as on the north and south facing roof-to-wall intersections.

The exterior trim is being installed on both the gable end overhangs and the soffits. The soffit trim will align around the perimeter of the house and the garage. Interior partitions are also being constructed. Window and framing air sealing is nearly complete on the interior of the house. On the exterior, window wells have been installed that allow egress from the basement.

Furring strips are being installed on the exterior of the house. The 1x4 wood furring strips create a drainage space between the drainage plane - the staggered and taped outer layer of polyisocyanurate rigid insulation - and the back of the cladding soon to be installed. The furring strips are fastened through the insulation to the 2x6 wall studs. The cladding will then be fastened to the furring strips.

The garage roof framing is also complete with a fully-adhered roof membrane installed at the edges and roofing paper installed in the field of the 5/8" plywood sheathing.

The Marvin triple pane windows are being installed with flashing back to the drainage plane - in this case, the first layer of rigid insulation with joints staggered and taped. Furring strips are also being installed which will provide a drainage space behind the fiber cement siding. On the inside of the house around the window and door frames, a backer rod and sealant will be installed to maintain continuity of the interior air barrier. The home will use the ADA - Airtight Drywall Approach - using the interior drywall sealed to framing members as the air barrier. 

In the basement, the primary air barrier is the concrete wall, with the taped rigid insulation serving as the secondary air barrier. In order to achieve this, the turned-up piece of rigid insulation along the perimeter of the concrete slab will be sealed to the concrete wall and high density spray foam will be the air barrier at the top of the wall. All beam pockets, wall penetrations and floor penetrations for plumbing will be sealed to the concrete. 

On the first and second floor, the perimeter bottom plates will be sealed to the floor sheathing, interior partitions will be sealed to exterior walls at wall intersections and spray foam will be used in the walls surrounding the dormer. Drywall will then be sealed to the framing members to complete the air barrier.