Are you dealing with drafts, high energy bills, a pest infestation, or poor indoor air quality? All of these issues can stem from air leaks—small gaps and cracks in your home’s walls, attic, and foundation. Air leaks allow air to move into and out of your home uncontrollably, which can create uncomfortable drafts and drive up your energy costs. These openings also create an entry point for pests, moisture, and outdoor air pollution.
Finding and closing air leaks will make your home healthier, more energy efficient, and more comfortable. Insulation Man offers blower door testing in the Southern Tier of NY and Northeastern PA.
WHY DO YOU NEED A BLOWER DOOR TEST?
It’s probably the most valuable tool in our industry. The advantages of blower door testing are pretty cut and dry. There is no mystery, but the benefits can be critical. Using the results can help prioritize which upgrades owners choose to make on their home or building. The main advantage while assessing a structure using the blower door is to determine how “tight” the place is.
When we know where the air is coming from and the volume of air, we can design the work scope or upgrades that will make the most sense coupled with the most benefits such as:
- Increase building efficiency, resulting in less fuel usage
- Save money on utility bills
- Promote better indoor air quality and overall home comfort
- Reduce impact on the environment
- Increase home’s value
New construction mandates the blower door test for code compliance. The blower door test acts as quality assurance. If a new home passes the blower door test, your contractor knows what they were doing, planned accordingly, and did not cut critical corners in insulation but most importantly air sealing.
HOW DOES A BLOWER DOOR TEST WORK?
A blower door is a diagnostic tool that is used to evaluate the airtightness of a building. The blower door is essentially a temporary door with a powerful fan that’s set up in your home’s entryway. The fan sucks the air out of your house to lower the pressure inside. Because air naturally moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, outside air will enter your home through any unsealed gaps and cracks.
As part of this process, we will inspect the house with a nontoxic smoke stick to pinpoint hidden air leaks, making it much easier to address them when the time comes to get to work. Depending on your blower door test results, we may recommend air sealing and insulation upgrades to tighten your home and prevent energy waste.
We also offer blower door testing as a standalone service to help homeowners and contractors:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of completed home performance work.
- Provide a roadmap to further improve a home’s efficiency.
- Demonstrate compliance with energy efficient building standards and green building certification requirements.
