Blower Door Testing
This is a picture of a routine "blower door test." Basically, we are testing to see where the house is losing the most air. From there we can figure out the best strategy to reduce air leakage.
Old Attic Insulation
This is the old attic insulation that was already up there. It wasn't very dense and wasn't doing a great job of forming a "thermal barrier" for the home. Combine this with the fact that there was hardly any air sealing and you have the perfect recipe for an uncomfortable home.
Caulk and Foam Board Used For Air Sealing
Air sealing is a huge component to fixing an uncomfortable home. One of the most common ways that we do this is by installing polysio foam board and caulk (the orange and silver) to openings and cavities in the attic. This will form an airtight barrier that stops air leakage in its tracks.
Bath Fan Vented Out Through Roof
We don't just want a comfortable home, we want a healthy home too. Here we had a bath fan that was being vented into the attic. This can cause serious problems since that fan is sucking up moisture and dumping it right into your attic (which can cause mold growth and structural problems). To fix this, we vented the fan outside of the house (using that black tube in the picture).
Polysio Foam Board Seal Attic Hatch
The attic opening itself is a huge gap that can allow for major air leakage. We fixed this problem by insulating the door with polysio foam board and weather-stripping around the edges.
Blown In Cellulose Insulation
As the final touch, we blew in closed cell cellulose insulation. This is a nice, dense insulation that will work with the air sealing to provide a comfortable, healthy home.
