BPI Gold Star Certified
Certified Home Energy Rater
Energy Tune-Up Certified
Licensed Home Inspector
Air Sealing Service
Getting your home properly air sealed is an important step in making your home more energy efficient and comfortable. Per Energy Star air infiltration accounts for 25 to 40 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling the typical home.
Air leakage, or infiltration, occurs when outside air enters a house through cracks and openings. This air leakage wastes energy and makes your home uncomfortable by allowing exterior air, humidity, and unwanted noise into your home. Another problem is that it lowers indoor air quality by allowing dust, airborne pollutants, and carbon monoxide into your home.
The amount of air leakage in a house depends on two factors. The first is the number and size of air leakage paths through the building envelope. These paths include joints between building materials, gaps around doors and windows, and pipe, wiring, duct, and chimney penetrations. The second factor is the difference in air pressure between the inside and outside. Pressure differences are caused by wind, indoor and outdoor temperature differences, chimney and flue exhaust fans, equipment with exhaust fans, ventilation fans, and forced air heating and cooling systems.
Sealing cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment.
Properly air sealing your home is critical if you want to maximize your energy savings. This may sound like a simple task, but if you want to get it done right you need to hire someone who has received air sealing training. It also requires a blower door test to identify the amount of leaks and an infrared camera to find the air leaks. As part of our air sealing service we will perform a blower door test before and after air sealing your home. This way you have a reference point and you know how much of an improvement we have made. Air sealing a home also requires addressing air quality problems that may result in health problems and carbon monoxide toxicity problems. Tighter is better, but if it’s not done right it can kill you.
To learn more about getting a Home Energy Audit and the upgrades we offer call us at 201-735-7600 or 914-623-0326.
