Blower door testing

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Diagnose problems in the building envelope with this simple, reliable tool. Air flowing in and out of a building can cause lots of problems; in fact, air leakage can account for 30 percent to 50 percent of the heat loss in…

Unmasking commercial energy loss

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The need to achieve high-performance buildings has prompted design changes that incorporate efficient use of energy and resources. One of these changes, the design, installation and testing of the building air barrier, has driven a dramatic increase in the…

Beauty and the beast upstairs

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The same features that are often added to the top story of homes to give them distinctive architectural beauty can also make them rather beastly to heat or retrofit. One-and-a-half-story houses, like the Cape Cod-style…

Air sealing in occupied homes

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  Over the last decade, many new techniques have evolved for improving the airtightness of existing homes. With this increased ability has come the responsibility to be comprehensive. There are few areas of residential construction…