Recommended changes for knee wall insulation practices to increase energy efficiency

This paper explains typical knee wall construction and insulation in homes in Indiana and demonstrates the energy inefficiencies caused by such methods. Literature research gives examples of possible opportunities for changing the standard methods of knee wall construction and insulation. The method...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sprague, Jill
Other Authors: Hill, William W.
Format: Others
Published: 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/188002
http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1314223
Description
Summary:This paper explains typical knee wall construction and insulation in homes in Indiana and demonstrates the energy inefficiencies caused by such methods. Literature research gives examples of possible opportunities for changing the standard methods of knee wall construction and insulation. The methodology of the study is explained, as is energy intensity (EI) — the main evaluation tool used in this paper. EI allows a researcher to compare homes of different sizes in different locations. Overall, the study shows that homes whose knee walls have an air barrier backing use less energy than homes without knee walls. Additionally, as expected, homes with improperly constructed knee walls use the most energy. Finally, the paper contains recommendations about what methods might be used to change the standard practices involved in building and insulating knee walls. === Department of Urban Planning