Air Sealing, Duct Sealing and Insulation
Air Sealing
Warm air leaking into your home during the summer and out of it during the winter wastes a lot of energy and money. Sealing joints, cracks and openings to the outside, discovered during the Building Performance Audit, is among the most cost effective weatherization measures.
Duct Sealing
The U.S. Department of Energy has found that in typical buildings duct leakage accounts for a 20% loss of conditioned air from leakage in the duct system. This translates to higher bills, lowered indoor air quality and comfort issues. Until recently, building codes in North Carolina did not require HVAC contractors to seal ducts. If your duct system was installed more than 5 years ago chances are that it is leaky. Our Building Performance audit includes testing for duct leakage, but this is generally something you can look for yourself: pull back the insulation on one of your duct connections and look for a white or gray paste liberally applied to the connection from the duct to plenum or boot. While less effective, some contractors use silicone caulk to seal ducts. If nothing is there, or only tape is used, your ducts are leaking.
Insulation
First, the single most important requirement for insulation to work properly is correct alignment with an air barrier. The next considerations are in the type of insulation, sufficient amount and proper installation in order to be effective. Currently, there is no single “best insulation product”. Sundogs Solutions offers a number of different types of insulation with an eye to providing our customers the best product for the situation, such as:
- Blow-in-Blanket system (standard and High Performance)
- Blown fiberglass & cellulose
- Polyurethane foam
- Fiberglass batts
- Rigid foam board
Therefore a good insulating system may include a combination of products and installation techniques to achieve the desired outcome.
Should I add insulation to my home or building?
The answer is probably “yes” if you:
- Have an older home and haven’t added insulation. Most homes built before 1980 are not well insulated.
- Are uncomfortably cold in the winter or hot in the summer – adding insulation creates a more uniform temperature and increases comfort.
- Build a new home, addition or install new siding or roofing.
- Pay high energy bills.
- Are bothered by noise from outside – insulation muffles sound.
