Down Syndrome of Louisville: Mitigating Bad Building Design

Severe energy loss and comfort complaints were plaguing the Down Syndrome of Louisville’s commercial warehouse building. It was “bleeding energy” due to original design flaws, and they called in The Foam Gnomes to help.

By replacing faulty insulation with open-cell spray foam, the team achieved a dramatic 90% increase in building efficiency. This project highlights Louisville Insulation’s ability to solve complex, commercial-scale building performance issues, directly helping a non-profit organization gain better control over its monthly expenses.

The Problem: Bleeding Energy and Comfort Complaints

The primary complaints were huge energy bills and comfort issues. The structure’s original design included a drop ceiling with unfaced R30 fiberglass batt insulation above it. This setup was fundamentally flawed because the drop ceiling was not a pressure boundary, and the fiberglass was not an air barrier, allowing conditioned air to leak directly out of the building. A pre-work blower door test confirmed the severity of the air leakage, as the team was unable to achieve a 5-pascal pressure difference. The client’s past solution was to buy more HVAC units.

The Solution: Creating a Thermal and Pressure Boundary

Louisville Insulation implemented a comprehensive solution:

1. Old insulation removal: Full extraction of the useless R30 batt insulation (estimated six to eight 40-yard dumpsters).
2. New insulation installation: Installation of open cell spray foam to the roof deck and gable ends, creating a proper thermal and pressure boundary.

The Results: A 10x Improvement in Air Tightness

The follow-up blower door test demonstrated a massive improvement:

• Efficiency: The building is now estimated to be 90% more efficient.
• Air Leakage Reduction: Estimated 10 times improvement in air tightness (post-work leakage at 7,000 CFM at 50-pascal difference).
• Client Impact: Comfort has already improved, and the upgrade is helping the non-profit get a better handle on their monthly expenses.

Are you experiencing high energy bills and uneven temperatures in your home or place of business? Call Louisville Insulation to schedule your assessment and take the first step toward energy efficiency and greater comfort.