Infiltration (or Air leakage) 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, dust, airborne pollutants, carbon monoxide and unwanted noise into your home.

 

The severity of air leakage in a house depends on: 1) The  number and size of air leakage paths throughout the building. These include joints between building materials, gaps around doors and windows, and pipe, wiring, duct, and chimney penetrations, 2)  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.

 

Properly air sealing your home is critical if you want to maximize your energy savings and if you want to get it done right you need to hire someone who has received air sealing training. 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 be quite a problem.