Just as some guys don’t remove their facial hair during hockey playoffs, I decided not to wash my work jeans until my final energy audit was complete. Like a talisman, I slipped on those pants day after day – ragged, stained and holey – until they could almost walk by themselves. Today they’re headed for the laundry.
It was a relief to watch the auditor, Mike, pack up his blower door equipment and paperwork and hit the road. It’s not because I don’t like Mike, but because the completion of the final energy audit felt like a false milestone in my ongoing house projects. For other EcoEnergy program participants the audit may have brought closure as their reno work was completed. In my case, I have “miles to go before I sleep.” I am relieved to be free of the pressure and to move on.
As my audit deadline loomed I worked at a maniacal pace, demandingly crabby at times, and felt under the gun to complete the work that would maximize my grant money but not necessarily best move my overall work forward in a logical way. There’s little point in carefully sealing and insulating a wall that needs to be rebuilt in the spring; it’s temporary relief that feels a little wrong. I didn’t install the new doors and windows because the timing didn’t make sense, so we forfeited some gains there.
But after the whirlwind of the past few weeks, I will pop on my headset today and resume work at an enjoyable pace with the delight of no fixed deadline. I will await the forthcoming cheques from the province and feds and, as importantly, anticipate receiving the final results of the blower door test. The house feels warmer and less draughty. And, with an initial result of eleven air changes per hour, I am confident there is nowhere to go but down.