When homeowners decide to renovate, they often start with visible upgrades—new windows, siding, or doors. But for Meaghan and Michael, those needs became the starting point for something much bigger: a comprehensive transformation that improved comfort, efficiency, health, and livability throughout their home.
Here’s their story.
The Challenge: Comfort, Efficiency, and Health
Before the renovation, the home had several pressing issues. The siding, windows, and doors were due for replacement, but Meaghan & Michael wanted to use that opportunity to tackle deeper problems.
Their house was drafty and inefficient, and they were eager to make it healthier with improved ventilation. At the same time, they wanted to address a growing list of structural and functional needs—from interior stairs and a rotting deck to better layouts and future flexibility.
Rather than making piecemeal fixes, they chose to pursue a holistic retrofit that would improve how the entire home performed.
Why Building Energy?
Meaghan & Michael knew they needed a team capable of handling a large, complex retrofit—and one that was genuinely excited about deep energy work.
They were introduced to Building Energy through their architect Jean Terwilliger at Vermont Integrated Architecture, who designed Meaghan & Michael’s home and had collaborated with the company before. From the very first meeting, they felt confident that Building Energy understood their goals and had the experience, crew size, and technical expertise to bring a deep energy retrofit to life.
Scope of Work: A Whole-Home Retrofit
The project touched nearly every part of the home. Building Energy completed a wide range of upgrades, including:
Building Envelope & Exterior
We built a robust, comprehensive new thermal enclosure from the slab to the roof, designed to control air leakage, vapor transmission, bulk water from weather, and conductive heat loss. To do this, we wrapped R-21 continuous insulation around the exterior of the building and left most of the old wall cavity insulation in place, replacing it only where we opened up a wall.
The job also included wrapping the exterior of house with Henry Blueskin, a self-adhered, air-tight, waterproof membrane that is vapor permeable and allows the walls to breath.
We removed the attic floor insulation and added R-60 spray foam to the roof, creating a conditioned attic for a cold climate ducted heat pump from Mitsubishi Electric, and an added an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) for optimal indoor air quality.
We excavated around the perimeter of the building and installed insulation around the edge of the slab.
In addition to installing vapor barrier, exterior insulation, rain screen, and new siding we:
- Replaced all windows with triple-pane tilt-turn windows.
- Replaced the exterior doors.
- Replaced the roof
- Rebuilt the deck
Structure & Layout
- Expanded the first floor (slab-on-grade) to improve structural integrity and add square footage
- Built a new staircase to meet code
- Reconfigured interior walls and doors after mold remediation
Mechanical Systems & Indoor Air Quality
- Installed Mitsubishi heat pumps for heating and cooling, removing the oil heating system
- Added an ERV for continuous fresh air
- Installed a new vent hood exhausting to the exterior
Interior Upgrades
- Repainted the interior
- Added new interior and exterior lighting
Together, these improvements created a tighter, healthier, and more efficient home—while also enhancing beauty and functionality.
The Results: Comfort You Can Feel
The difference was immediate and dramatic. Meaghan and Michael say:
We absolutely love our newly renovated home and are very happy with the results. We used to feel drafts in every room in the house but now a single mini split keeps an entire floor of our house comfortable through January in Vermont thanks to the meticulous air sealing and insulation work.
But they also found joy in the details. They go on to say:
We appreciate the big things that we planned for, but also the “smaller” things that we didn’t plan for. We love looking at the beautiful views from our windows, but we also love looking at the beautiful windows themselves along with the trim details that Building Energy executed so well. We are enjoying more overhead lighting, and having a different color on the walls throughout the house to help brighten it up. We appreciate the attention to detail from the team.
The Experience: Collaboration and Transparency
For the Meaghan & Michael, working with Building Energy was as important as the final result. This is why:
We were really happy to go with Building Energy and appreciated their creative problem solving to help us determine the best way to modify our house given the constraints. Building Energy always worked hard to balance our needs.
Their honesty, and transparency regarding costs when unexpected challenges arose—as they often do in large renovations—was so valuable. Building Energy clearly explained options and pricing, empowering us to make informed decisions.
A Home Built for the Future
This project shows what’s possible when efficiency, comfort, and design are approached as a single integrated goal. What began as a need for new windows and siding became a deep energy retrofit that reshaped the home—and how it’s experienced every day.
For Meaghan & Michael, the result isn’t just a renovation. It’s a healthier, more comfortable, future-ready home.
Thank You Meaghan & Michael for sharing your story with us and thank you for choosing Building Energy!