A Rescheck is What?

Many people arrive there at the Rescheck.info homepage and Reschexpert blog for one single reason, they want to know just what a Rescheck is.  The Department of Energy have done amazing work creating Rescheck Web and Rescheck Desktop softwares and answering all different types of questions about Rescheck reports and exactly what they are.  We offer a Rescheck service and in the end we end up helping a large number of contractors, architects, engineers, subcontractors, building departments, and building officials answer outlier questions about what a Rescheck is, and how it can be used to improve their construction projects.

The easiest way to think of a Rescheck is a that it is a report that explains how the insulation envelope of your home will perform in the climate zone that you are planning to build.  It used to be the case that you could add insulation to places with less insulation to compensate for areas with less insulation that may not meet code.  Rescheck, allowed the structure to act as a total system and the Rescheck report and Rescheck softwares took these components and gave them a pass or fail score.  Now the Rescheck insulation trade-offs are a little more tricky.  Starting recently you are no longer able to trade off slab insulation by adding slab insulation elsewhere.  If you do not place the correct insulation in your Rescheck Slab your project will automatically fail. 

Here is an article explaining the Rescheck Slab Insulation in more depth

However, you can still do tradeoffs in Ceilings, Walls, and types of foundations like subfloors, basements, and crawl spaces.

Aside from Reschecks offering trade offs we return to the initial question of, A Rescheck is What?  Reschecks are created using the Department of Energy created softwares Rescheck Web and Rescheck Desktop.  The key differences in the Rescheck softwares are that Rescheck Web is hosted online and Rescheck Desktop will be downloaded to your computer.  What you will do when you are ready to create your Rescheck is the following:

Get a full size set of plans (not actually required, but recommended)

Find the R Values of Ceiling, Walls, and Foundation on the plans.

Find the U Values and SHGC of all Windows and Doors.

Find the square footage areas of the Windows, Doors, Ceiling, Walls, and Foundation

Once you have this information you will navigate to either Rescheck Web or Rescheck Desktop and enter it into the software.

After all the above information is entered into the Rescheck software, the question of what is a Rescheck becomes more clear.  You can now print off a finished product that is called a “Rescheck Report.”  This is what you will turn into your building department along with your plans to start construction of your new home, addition, or alteration.  What this tells your building inspector is that you followed the applicable code for your jurisdiction and that you used the proper insulation values in each of your components.

In closing, a Rescheck is a report that allows everyone involved to see the insulation expectations on a project.  It allows you to know beforehand that your home is using the proper protection against your local climate zone, so that your finished construction project does not become a money pit of energy efficiency.  Allowing you more comfort in the finished structure, and allowing you to keep more money in your pocket each month when the energy bill arrives.

Rescheck.info is Rescheck service and if you need a Rescheck we are currently offering them for $79.  The lead time for a Rescheck is 4-6 hours.  To get started you can email us your order confirmation number, plans, jobsite address, and square footage and we will get you taken care of.