(480) 420-7869 - 3143 E Greenway Rd Suite 601, Phoenix, AZ 85032
Getting an Energy Audit is the best way to find leaks in the home
Small air leaks in attic space, ceiling and walls are a major source of heat loss in many homes.
Sealing Leaks
- Seal air leaks throughout the home to stop drafts,
- Add insulation to block heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer,
- Choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows when replacing windows.
Many air leaks and drafts are hard to find because they are invisible to the naked eye — like those in the ceiling or in crevices in the walls. Holes hidden in attics, basements, and crawlspaces can lead to wasted electricity and higher utility bills. Sealing these leaks with caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping will have a great impact on improving your comfort and reducing utility bills.
Sealing your house too tightly is not recommended either. A certain amount of fresh air is needed for good indoor air quality and there are specifications that set the minimum amount of fresh air needed for a house.
Sealing and insulating the “envelope” or “shell” of your home — its outer walls, ceiling, windows, doors, and floors — is often the most cost effective way to improve energy efficiency and comfort. ENERGY STAR estimates that a knowledgeable homeowner or skilled contractor can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% on their total annual energy bill) by sealing and insulating.
To Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR: Schedule an Energy Audit call 480-420-7869 or Click Here to choose your day and time.
Plug the Big Holes First
Don’t worry about finding and sealing all the little holes in your attic; your biggest savings will come from plugging the large ones. Once in the attic, refer to your sketch to locate the areas where leakage is likely to be greatest: where walls (inner and outer) meet the attic floor, dropped soffits (dropped-ceiling areas), and behind or under attic kneewalls.
Look for dirty insulation — this indicates that air is moving through it. Dropped soffits may be filled or covered with insulation and hard to see. Push back the insulation and scoop it out of the soffits. You will place this insulation back over the soffit once the stud cavities have been plugged and the soffits covered.
If You Have a Finished Attic, Seal Behind the Knee Walls
Finished rooms built into attics often have open cavities in the floor framing under the side-walls or kneewalls. Even though insulation may be piled against or stuffed into these spaces, they can still leak air. Again, look for signs of dirty insulation to indicate air is moving through. You need to plug these cavities in order to stop air from traveling under the floor of the finished space.
Adding Insulation
When correctly installed with an attic seal and air sealing, each type of insulation can deliver comfort and lower energy bills during the hottest and coldest times of the year.
There are several reasons why insulation usually underperforms in real world applications. The most common are misalignments, bridged areas at soffits or arches, compressed batts or improperly blown in cellulose, and blowback caused by wind at the eves of a home. At first glance everything may look fine but take a closer look – these areas are hard to spot without some digging. Insulation, in order to be most effective, MUST be in contact with the surface that faces the conditioned space. Any gaps or voids allow hot attic air to migrate past and transfer heat to the conditioned space via conduction. Remember that insulation only slows heat transfer, NOT air movement. If the air gets past, it brings heat with it.
Insulation performance is measured by R-value — its ability to resist heat flow. Higher R-values mean more insulating power. Different R-values are recommended for walls, attics, basements and crawlspaces, depending on your area of the country. Insulation works best when air is not moving through or around it. So it is very important to seal air leaks before installing insulation to ensure that you get the best performance from the insulation.
To get the biggest savings, the easiest place to add insulation is usually in the attic. A quick way to see if you need more insulation is to look across your uncovered attic floor. If your insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists, you probably need to add more insulation. The recommended insulation level for most attics is R-38 (or about 12–15 inches, depending on the insulation type). In the coldest climates, insulating up to R-49 is recommended.
Sealing Ducts
In houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems, ducts are used to distribute conditioned air throughout the house. In a typical house, however, about 20 percent of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks and poorly sealed connections. The result is higher utility bills and difficulty keeping the house comfortable, no matter how the thermostat is set.
Because some ducts are concealed in walls and between floors, repairing them can be difficult. However, exposed ducts in attics, basements, crawlspaces, and garages can be repaired by sealing the leaks with duct sealant (also called duct mastic). In addition, insulating ducts that run through spaces that get hot in summer or cold in winter (like attics, garages, or crawlspaces) can save significant energy.
Additionally, if you are replacing your forced-air heating and cooling equipment, make sure your contractor installs the new system according to ENERGY STAR quality installation guidelines. A quality installation will include a thorough inspection of your duct system, including proper sealing and balancing of ductwork, to help ensure that your new system delivers the most comfort and efficiency.
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