July 2015

by Melissa Coleman

Q+A with Jeff and Abby Labbe on turning a modular into a farmhouse

The Labbes had been looking for a new home in Brunswick for 14 years when they finally found the perfect south-facing location. The only problem? The house was a shabby 1998 modular. Enter architect David Matero, who helped the couple retrofit the 1,900-square-foot structure into a 2,900-square-foot, “near-zero” modern farmhouse.  

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FEATURES OF THE NEW HOME?

A: The openness, natural light, first-floor master suite, and of course the energy efficiency. The foundation and original walls of the modular were left in place, and a second two-by-four wall was constructed to create space for a barrier system with nine inches of insulation to keep the house warm. The R-38 insulation value and triple-pane tilt- turn windows from Intus make it so you can see the trees outside blowing around during storms but you can’t hear the wind.

??Q: WHAT ARE THE AVERAGE ENERGY BILLS?

A: Thanks to the 9.2-kilowatt solar array, February and March are the only months we have a bill, so with the $10 minimum monthly charge, it’s about $252 a year. This is for two heat pumps, hot water, and all electric in the house. We have a gas fireplace and cook top that uses about $564 a year in propane. The total is less than $850 a year for 2,900 square feet. 

Q: ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?

A: David Matero was instrumental in getting us to go as energy efficient as we did, and it’s worked as well as he said it would. It was hard to spend the extra money up front, but now we look forward to getting the electric bills each month.