Comfort Ready Home helps communities become more energy efficient, healthier and more comfortable through home weatherization, HVAC and water-heating upgrades. We make affordable energy-efficiency upgrades possible for every home by connecting energy utilities, contractors and homeowners with each other and with the tools they need to make smart energy-efficiency decisions.
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Thanks for asking! The tool on the pole is a Pressure Pan and it is attached by a tube to a Manometer which reads the pressure inside of the pan. Both are made by The Energy Conservatory (TEC).
Depends if ya using cellulose insulation…if ya use a blower that’s chops it up fine almost looking like a carpet or snow then air sealing is not needed as it will cover and air seal everything it covers and touches . Waste of money to airseal unless ya using the fiberglass…I’ve run 1000 fan tests and I can tell ya the only time air sealing makes a difference is in plumbing and electrical holes around the home itself or if you roll out fiberglass…
I had the old insulation in my attic removed entirely, my home rewired and then the attic and basement were air sealed. The insulation work was meticulously done by BPI contractors. Then new cellulose insulation was blown in.
Great vid - Would’ve liked to see a little more info on the fireplace perimeter seal, I’m working on this myself. I was hesitant to hire for this job so I’m doing it myself, but I would trust this crew to do a good / thorough job 👍
Thanks! If you are in the Pacific Northwest, there are many fantastic contractors that all take similar trainings on our contract finder: comfortreadyhome.com/contractor-search. And whether you continue on your own or end up with a contractor, this resource can help with a little more specific information: comfortreadyhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CRH-Single-Family-Prescriptive-Air-Sealing-At-A-Glance.pdf
Great information! I recommend completely extracting all insulation, so you can see all the penetrations, its amazing how much you can miss with insulation in the way.
Thanks for the recommendation. It is certainly great to remove existing insulation to make the air sealing job easier and ensure thoroughness. When it is not feasible to remove insulation or if the existing insulation is in good condition, mapping out the where the walls, architectural details and lights are from the living space can give a very complete and precise mapping of where penetrations are likely to be.
@@ComfortReadyHome I agree; however, when it comes to icedamming certain situations will require more than just air sealing. Moving ducts, vents, and using better insulation materials. I tried doing it without full extraction on two buildings for 11 years and finally exhausted myself of paying roofers to shovel snow off the roof only to discover damage in the spring from aggressive snow shoveling. You are right though, if you can avoid the cost, and fix it, then go the simple route:)
my house has a nearly identical attic. I live in Vancouver. We recently removed all the vermiculite and cellulose. and sprayed biocide to kill the milldew mould. and then sprayed a preventative clear layer to prevent future mould. we increased the ventilation in the soffits and roof. and we air sealed everything. now we are putting in rockwool insulation everywhere. Not sure yet what to do about the vapour barrier. If anyone wants to compare notes, reach out!
The mount is held up by fasteners to the joists. These fasteners don’t typically pose a compromise to air leakage. The air sealing opportunity was where the wiring comes through. The wiring typically runs through a drilled hole that feeds to an electrical junction box fastened to the joist. The team was able to access the wiring as it came through the ceiling and install some spray foam at the penetration. This application looks very similar to the video cover image: i9.ytimg.com/vi/peGZpxePEs4/sddefault.jpg?v=65288c40&sqp=CPCLvqsG&rs=AOn4CLD7IOs4Bv4WBjE7vyQSmh-1Pi4H2w
DAN! So proud to have come up in the trade with this guy, we miss you in the northwest. Air sealing details are something we train hard with our crews on, it is critical for energy efficiency, healthy IAQ, comfort, and building durability. We get one chance to do it right ahead of insulating, make sure you hire a pro who will sweat these details!!
Totally agree! Understanding the systematic workings of the building and creating a thoughtful plan with good craftsmanship is the key to success. Keep up the good work.
Were you guys able to seal the top plates around the perimeter of the house (outside walls). If so, how did you do it? Also, do you need to spray foam each rafter that makes contact with the drywall ceiling?
Thank you for your question! In most homes, the top plate should be accessible on the outer walls. The part that should be air sealed is where the drywall or lathe and plaster meet the top plate and where perpendicular walls are connected. Electrical lines sometimes go through here to porch lights and switches. Depending on the slop of the roof, this can be a very tight situation. If the home is balloon framed, proper blocking will need to be considered before air sealing can be done effectively. Don’t forget to put baffles for the lower attic ventilation. It is important to determine what is exactly considered inside the home and what is outside the thermal envelope. In most homes, the rafters of an attic do not penetrate the thermal envelope and do not require air sealing at the junction and rest on the outer wall or attic pony wall. A blower door test can be an effective way to see and feel how the house is interacting with air through the assembly.
No mention of baffle against the roof deck to maintain airflow from side attic out the ridge? If you let heat soak all the way out through the roof above due to "solid packed" insulation, while the lower roof over the side attic stays frozen, under certain environmental circumstances, you'll have an ice dam and a roof leak on a shingled roof. The deck should remain the same temp as the outside by way of baffle to the ridge and out a ridge vent. Convection will move warm air out before melting the roof in the winter. That's the first issue with Cape Cod houses and other finished attics in my book. It's just as important in summer months, when convection would carry blistering hot attic air out the ridge each day as evening cools off outside, gable end vents on the side attic require a fan to stop the compounding collateral heating through the night.
Good point about the potential for ice damming in snowy climates with this style of roof. It is always important to ensure adequate insulation levels for the climate zone you're working in and there are more things to consider when snow might sit on the roof. With this video, which we produced as a supplement to Bonneville Power Administration's weatherization specifications and best practices guide, (www.bpa.gov/-/media/Aep/energy-efficiency/document-library/bpa-weatherization-specifications-best-practices-guide.pdf), we wanted to emphasize the importance of adequate side and top attic ventilation and air sealing when insulating short slopes.
@@ComfortReadyHome I don't think there's anything wrong with the video except talking about insulating the pitch of a roof, should always include making sure air can travel underneath the roof deck and on top of all the insulation , to the ridge and out. Same goes for hot climates to keep the sun's heat from simply drilling through the insulation into the house. My dad moved to Houston from Buffalo and within the first couple of years opened that roof on his new house to add baffles to get the boiling hot air out of the lower attic up and out the ridge. Work like a charm. Cut his A/C bill in half.
Hey guys great video . Here in England we have the same issues . Keep up the great work . Mother Nature throws a lot of stuff at us ? Super informative .
