Air Sealing
The First and Most Important Step in Home Performance
Adding insulation without proper air sealing will cause the insulation to perform poorly and may actually have a negative effect on the efficiency of the home. Reducing the amount of air infiltration in and out of your home is usually the most cost-effective method to reduce your heating and cooling costs.
Hidden air leaks cause some of the largest energy losses in any home. Common air leakage sites include:
- Plumbing penetrations through insulated floors and ceilings
- Chimney penetrations through insulated ceilings and exterior walls
- Fireplace dampers
- Attic access hatches
- Recessed lights and fans in insulated ceilings
- Wiring penetrations through insulated floors, ceilings, and walls
- Missing plaster
- Electrical outlets and switches, especially on exterior walls
- Window, door, and baseboard moldings
- Dropped ceilings above bathtubs and cabinets
Northern Energy Services will send a team of airflow experts to your home. After doing an initial building analysis using Efficiency Maine and Building Performance Institute (B.P.I.) methods to quantify and identify leaks, the crew air seals your house in order of priority. Testing is repeated throughout the job to ensure success and the safe operation of your home.
Common air leaks include visible things like gaps around recessed can lights and outlets, cracks around interior trim, and leaks around doors and windows. Usually, the most important leaks are hidden in attics, crawlspaces, chimney chases, or the heating system and ducts if you have a hot air furnace.
Begin Savings – Schedule an Audit
Northern Energy Services, in partnership with Efficiency Maine, is offering an Energy Audit with blower door guided air sealing! These home weatherization improvements result in savings that will continue to increase as energy costs increase and you can watch your heating and cooling expenses go down! Recent studies have shown that you can save as much as $5.22 for every $1.00 spent on efficiency improvements. Contact us today !