Don Mallette and the Lewis County (NY) Building Codes Department - BCAP Energy Code Champions (Fall 2009)

Code official Don Mallette and his associates with the Lewis County Department of Building and Fire Codes in New York recently went far beyond the call of duty to help a homeowner assure the insulation job was done correctly in their new home. For this effort, BCAP is proud to recognize Don and the Department as its Fall 2009 Energy Code Champions!

This winter, a local homeowner complained to Don and the Department that his new home was cold and uncomfortable, and that they were experiencing very high energy bills, despite what was touted to be a superior insulation material installed to comply with New York's state energy code. Don and his associates undertook the matter personally, investigating by guiding the homeowners in opening a few wall cavities as well as enlisting the aid of a local building performance diagnostician and his infrared camera. Don discovered that the insulation was installed poorly, leaving many gaps and voids that were causing the comfort and energy loss issues. As a result, the contractor returned and redid almost 90 percent of the wall areas more carefully, to the Department's satisfaction.

This homeowner will no doubt experience a much more comfortable and cost-effective life this winter in chilly Lewis County, New York!

After spending 15 years as a residential builder and 15 years in commercial and heavy construction, Don has worked for the last three and a half years as a code enforcement official. He holds an A.A.S. degree in forest technology from Paul Smith's College in upstate New York.

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Each quarter, BCAP will be recognizing a new Energy Code Champion. This will be a person who has been working hard behind the scenes to advocate for improving building energy codes. If you have someone you would like to nominate, or if you would like to tell us about the wonderful work you are doing, please write to Paul Karrer at pkarrer@ase.org.

See the full list of BCAP Energy Code Champions