One of the home improvements with the fastest return on investment is insulating and air sealing. Energy savings quickly add up as you reduce heat loss and improve the comfort in your home. Applying air sealing techniques to your home will go a long way in making it energy efficient. Air sealing and insulation do not stand alone however. They should be considered along with moisture control and ventilation. When you achieve a balance between these four aspects your home will be healthier and more comfortable. |
A whole-house systems approach to an energy efficient home includes addressing your home's:
- Air Sealing and
- Insulation needs,
- Ventilation requirements
- and Moisture Control.
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Reasons for Air Sealing Your Home |
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Blower Door Test |
A blower door test can ascertain the rate of air infiltration, identify leaks and determine a home's mechanical ventilation needs.
A blower door has a variable-speed fan and a flexible panel supported by a frame. Calibrated blower doors have gauges that quantify the amount of air leaking out of a building and how effective an air-sealing job really is. An uncalibrated blower door, on the other hand, will only be able to assist a contractor in locating air leaks. They will not help to determine the air tightness of a building's thermal envelope.
Professional energy auditors or contractors test a home's airtightness by mounting a fan in the frame of an exterior door. The blower door's powerful fan draws air out of the home. This depressurizes the house. Because the outside air then has a higher pressure than the indoor air, the outdoor air is pulled through cracks and unsealed openings. The energy contractors can then detect any leaks with a smoke pencil. |
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In preparation of a blower door test you will need to turn off your furnace and any heaters. Close all windows and exterior doors, and open all interior doors. |
Blower Door Depressurization Test |
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Air Sealing in an Existing Home |
There are two steps that you will need to do before air sealing your existing home. You will first need to have professionals detect the air leaks that currently exist in your home by having an energy audit or blower door test done. This test will help you to determine where more insulation and air sealing will be required. Some of the problem areas for air leaks include: frames around windows and doors, places where gas, electrical, phone or TV services enter your home, mail slots, dryer vents, AC vents, fans and through holes in the ceiling plane from chimneys, ducts and pipes.
Secondly, you should have your home's ventilation needs evaluated and assessed. In order to keep your indoor air healthy you need to ventilate or exchange indoor air with clean air from outside. Inadequately ventilated homes can lead to poor indoor air quality that often causes or aggravates health problems.
Then your home can be air-sealed with weatherstripping, caulk and various other sealing materials and techniques such as expanding foam and sheet metal. You may also need to consider window replacement, duct improvements and retrofitting insulation. |
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Air Sealing in New Home Construction |
| When you are having a new home built air sealing should be an important consideration as it is part of achieving an effective thermal envelope. It is much easier to air seal a new home as compared to retrofitting methods on an older drafty home. Some new construction techniques for air sealing a home include: airtight drywall, caulking, air barriers, housewrap and weatherstripping. All construction joints, whether vertical or horizontal, should be sealed and include air leakage detailing for air tightness. After achieving an air tight home it would be good to install a ERV (Enthalpy Recovery Ventilator) or a HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) to ensure that your house will be properly ventilated. |
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Our contractors can help you to make your home more energy efficient by air sealing your home, upgrading the insulation, improving the ventilation and by controlling the moisture. Start enjoying a more comfortable, healthier and energy efficient home - compare free quotes from insulation contractors in your area! |
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