Health & Safety (Pre-Weatherization)

Fixing Health and Safety Concerns

Have you had a Home Energy Assessment and been told that your home has a “health and safety” problem that must be fixed before you can proceed with insulation and air sealing? If so, we want to reassure you that Renew Boston can help with many of the most common of these health and safety or “pre-weatherization” conditions.

Here is a list of the most common pre-weatherization issues, and the most common solutions. Please note that pre-weatherization issues and their solutions vary greatly in each home. Your energy advisor will let you know if your home qualifies for Mass Save incentives to remedy these issues.

In addition to the rebates and grants listed below, you can also apply to use a portion of a Mass Save HEAT Loan for fixing pre-weatherization problems. The Boston Home Center loan and grant program may also be able to assist you. Mass Save also offers rebates for replacing heating systems with high efficiency models.

Pre-weatherization Condition Explanation Remediation
High carbon monoxide If your heating system doesn’t burn cleanly, it can produce carbon monoxide or “CO,” an odorless gas that is very toxic. In a drafty, uninsulated home, this might not be a health problem, but if all the drafts were sealed up, the CO would build up inside the house and produce dangerous air quality.
  • $300 rebate available to you for to hire a licensed HVAC contractor to tune up or clean your heating system
  • If high CO persists, the system may need to be replaced
  • Mass Save incentives are available for purchasing new high-efficiency heating systems
Draft or spillage of combustion devices If the draft up your flue pipes or chimney is not adequate to insure that all the gases from your natural gas or oil-fired equipment are pulled completely out of your home, adding insulation and air sealing could create back-drafts of CO and dangerous air quality inside your home.
  • Chimney cleaning, lining or rebuilding
  • Fixing flue issues or adding power to your heating systems’ ventilation
Knob-and-Tube wiring If insulation is installed over old fashioned knob-and-tube wiring, this could create a fire hazard.
  • $250 rebate available to you for hiring a licensed electrician to determine if the knob-and-tube wiring is “live” or inactive.
  • If inactive, your electrician can sign off on a form and you can proceed with insulation.
  • If live, ask the electrician to give you a quote for rewiring. If possible, ask for separate figures for basement, attic, and walls.
  • $3,000 grant available for rewiring (up to 25% total cost of rewiring plus new insulation)
Improper ventilation of attic, bathroom fans, dryers If bathroom, dryer, and attic vents are inadequate, moisture can build up, potentially leading to mold and other damage.
  • $250 rebate available for fixing dryer vents
  • Increase attic ventilation
  • Extend bathroom and dryer vents to the outside
Mold or moisture presence in attic or basement Mold and moisture can cause indoor air quality issues
  • Remove mold and ventilate
  • Stop the source of moisture through roof repair or basement water sealing
Dirt floors in basement If a damp basement is made less drafty through air sealing or insulation, moisture coming u0p through dirt floors can cause indoor air quality and mold issues
  • Put down a plastic vapor barrier
  • Pour cement
Asbestos Before asbestos was understood to be a dangerous carcinogen, asbestos “vermiculite” was used to insulate attics and asbestos wrap was used to insulate heating systems and pipes.
  • $3,000 grant available for removing asbestos from a furnace or boiler (up to 25% of the total cost of asbestos removal and new heating system).
  • Asbestos removal must be performed by a contractor certified for asbestos removal.