How Much Air Leakage Do Houses Need?

In general houses are usually about three times leakier than they need to be for ventilation purposes and it just happens to coincide with their being three times leakier than they should be for a reasonable level of energy conservation. Different construction methods in different climates can produce very different air leakage levels but it can be said that houses are built as tight as they have to be in order to make them reasonably habitable. If a house that was built for a mild West Coast climate was placed in Minnesota, it would probably be so leaky as to be barely habitable. Energy bills would be extremely high in the winter and the air would be so dry that the occupant’s lips would be permanently cracked. So, to some extent the climate dictates what builders can get away with.

One of our Blower Door Units

Air Sealing

Conserving energy may not be one of the first benefits most people would think of when thinking about air tightness. An ambitious air leakage reduction program could reduce leakage in half so that 5 to 20% of the total energy bill might be saved. There is definitely a relationship between airtightness and energy costs. Air Infiltration is what we call the movement of un controlled air.  Air movement we control is planned and usually  allowed for in the home design and needs.

Whole House Comfort.

It will make your home more comfortable. Drafty windows and doors make for uneven heating throughout the house. So you end up with some places that are too hot and others that are too cold. Imagine your home heated evenly throughout so that you could put your bed right next to your windows.

Painless and Immediate.

It’s quick, quiet and clean. About 80% of air sealing of a home can be done by our  team of trained professionals in half a day or so. You’ll realize the differences immediately

NOISE REDUCTION

One of the unexpected benefits of air leakage control is that it reduces the amount of noise entering the home from outdoors. Noise comes in through small holes in the building envelope which are the same ones that allow for air leakage. In nuclear power plants noise generators are used to locate leaks so obviously a tight house also means a quiet house. This is one of the first unexpected benefits that occur when people first move into modern energy-efficient houses.