Whole-Home Energy Applications
E3 also offers other whole-home applications that will help to seal and insulate your home from the ground up. Many of these problem areas are found during the energy audit process. Weatherization of the home focuses on sealing air leaks that can be found from the basement or crawlspace all the way to the attic. Cold, drafty rooms in the winter and warm, uncomfortable rooms in the summer indicate that a home may have many air leakage points. This heat loss/heat gain can put a lot of extra pressure on your heating and cooling systems. Because the average home spends 50% of their energy bills on heating and cooling, this can be a very costly problem! Many air leakage spots in the home are due to the construction process when holes and openings are not air sealed as the building process continues. Other leaks occur as the house settles and building materials expand and contract naturally. The following are the typical areas where we may see air leakage:
Air Sealing
There are many spots in your home where air can leak into and out of the building envelope. The attic has some of the largest sources of air leaks within a home. Areas that we inspect and air seal are: open chase, electrical and plumbing penetrations and unsealed top plates.
Duct Sealing
Your duct work carries all your conditioned air throughout your home. Many homes have unsealed duct work seams, broken or torn duct work. In your attic you will often find flexible duct work that is disconnected or torn. We will air seal or replace the disconnected duct work and make sure that it is properly insulated. We may also find that the metal duct work found throughout your home, primarily in the basement, has unsealed, leaky seams. Using mastic, we will seal the seams so that all your conditioned air stays within your duct system.
Other Areas of Air Leakage
In addition to the above we may also find that the following:
Having a complete energy audit conducted by a certified professional will help you to identify and remedy any air leakage problems found in your home. E3 is a BPI certified energy auditor and can provide you with a complete energy analysis and estimate of work needing to be completed of your home. When you schedule an energy audit with us we are also able to provide you with access to many different rebates with Consumers Energy! Call us today to schedule your energy audit!
Air Sealing
There are many spots in your home where air can leak into and out of the building envelope. The attic has some of the largest sources of air leaks within a home. Areas that we inspect and air seal are: open chase, electrical and plumbing penetrations and unsealed top plates.
- Open Chase - an open chase is a cavity that runs from the basement or crawlspace all the way to the attic that carries duct work, plumbing and wiring throughout the home. The open chase is usually hidden behind drywall. Often unconditioned air travel through the open chase making adjacent rooms too warm in the summer and too cold in the winter. To air seal an open chase we would rigid foam board and canned foam to seal around any duct work or piping that emerges into the attic.
- Electrical & Plumbing Penetrations - Current building codes require that the holes drilled to run plumbing and wiring in an unconditioned space, like an attic, be air sealed. If you have an older home most likely this kind of air sealing hasn't been done. During an energy inspection we will look for this issue and will suggest air sealing before any other attic work is completed.
- Unsealed Top Plates - The framing that runs across your ceiling will often be left unsealed. Even though these leaks seem small, they will all add up to a much larger heat loss or gain. We recommend air sealing top plates at the same time that the electrical and plumbing penetrations are air sealed.
Duct Sealing
Your duct work carries all your conditioned air throughout your home. Many homes have unsealed duct work seams, broken or torn duct work. In your attic you will often find flexible duct work that is disconnected or torn. We will air seal or replace the disconnected duct work and make sure that it is properly insulated. We may also find that the metal duct work found throughout your home, primarily in the basement, has unsealed, leaky seams. Using mastic, we will seal the seams so that all your conditioned air stays within your duct system.
Other Areas of Air Leakage
In addition to the above we may also find that the following:
- Needing to install proper vent and blocking in the attic
- Insulate rim and band joists
- Install energy efficiency exhaust fans
- Vent exhaust systems correctly
- Air seal and install weatherstripping around attic hatch
- Air seal window trim, exterior wall baseboard trim and doors
Having a complete energy audit conducted by a certified professional will help you to identify and remedy any air leakage problems found in your home. E3 is a BPI certified energy auditor and can provide you with a complete energy analysis and estimate of work needing to be completed of your home. When you schedule an energy audit with us we are also able to provide you with access to many different rebates with Consumers Energy! Call us today to schedule your energy audit!
