A major expense for the Humphreys House will be in something that many people will not see, but they will feel. One of the obvious draw backs to a 100 year old home is energy efficiency. Improvements and advancements have been made in this area over the past century. The biggest advancement has been in the energy efficiency of windows. Double pane, argon gas, vinyl cladding and weather stripping have transformed holes in the walls with a thin piece of glass to a marvel of modern technology and aesthetic beauty. These improvements have made houses that have lots of glass and tons of natural light. Windows were the first thing that builders started to play with in the spirit of design in architecture.
The Humphreys House is no different in regard – the most visible design element being the windows. However, this creates a dilemma for us. Our decision to keep the windows as is – maintains the original character and design but is terribly inefficient. So instead we have invested in a high efficient HVAC system. This high tech variable speed two zone system will be the life blood of the house. Like arteries carrying blood to the the extremities of the body central heating and air carry warmth and comfort to the entire house. Hopefully it will off set, at least a little bit, the expense of heating and cooling a drafty old house.
Drywall has started and although it is important to take care not to run the fan during the dusty parts of construction, it is also helpful for the drywall stage to take a little moisture out of the air and maintain a steady temp to avoid drastic swings in the temperature that cause expansion and contraction. An added benefit is it also helps to make it comfortable to have friends over to help. As promised the paint party kicked off, maybe a little too soon, but we have friends anxious to help. Starting in the front room we primed the old walls and quickly came to the realization that new paint over the old grey walls will make everything bright on the inside, and look forward to being ready for a fresh coat on everything.
