An energy-audit is a great “tune-up” for your existing home. I have been offeringenergy-auditsfor free for people in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County now for about four years. My goal is to help people reduce their monthly bills by identifying easy to correct issues in their homes. I usually don’t hear back from them on the progress they have made, but I did on a recent audit which made my day.
From the home owner via email: After the first night with increased insulation in our attic, we want to say “THANK YOU” again for your insight and time during our home energy audit. Elite Insulation was over yesterday and the improvement to the warmth is noticeable. It’s the first time we didn’t have to use a space heater during the winter!
In this particular audit I did not find any BIG issues that should be fixed right away. I did notice that the attic insulation needed some attention and gave the home owner some other easy to fix items that would improve comfort. I like to also leave a list of companies that I trust to get the work done right if they are called. Elite Insulation is always the name I give for improving the thermal envelope of a home or business. They do good work for a fair price – what more could you ask for from your insulator?
I emailed Ken at Elite Insulation to find out what they did at the house to solve the comfort issue. He tells me that they added R-30 insulation over the existing 10″that was already there. Old insulation has layers of dirt and does not perform as well as new insulation so my guess is the atticnow has around an R35 – R40 blanket on top holding in the conditioned temperatures. While they were there they also added baffles to keep the soffits functioning as designed. This will allow air to flow above the insulation without moving the insulation around. This is not Ken’s work pictured below, but shows the soffit vent in action.
I am thrilled to hear from the home owner that she felt immediate results from the work that was done. Offering free energy-audits is rewarding in that I know I am empowering people with information they can use to cut costs and improve comfort. Hearing back from someone who has done improvements really makes it worthwhile.
I am working on a research project that looks at different wall types (2 x 4 wood, 2 x 6 wood, ICF, other) compared to annual energy usage. The more data I can collect for each wall type the closer I will get to scientific conclusion. If you have a moment, can you please fill out the “Home Energy Use Average” survey linked below. It is simple and straight forward to fill out. All data will be anonymous.
The goal of this information gathering is to confirm or refute some conclusions our research team has come to for a book project we are working on. Thank you so much for sharing the information.
This time of year it is sometimes hard to get warm. Does your house have that one room that is always a few degrees colder than the rest of the house? Are there places in your home you don’t use this time of year? Look for the air leak if your house is cold or uncomfortable and seal them. This simple act will improve the comfort of the rooms in your home and cut your energy bills.
One of the most common places I find HUGE air leak are electrical outlets and light switches. Here is a thermal image of a light switch next to a window. You can see the dark area which shows cold air is 44 degrees inside the house. The way it is shaped shows that air leak is coming through the wall and around this outlet running up and down the wall.
If you remove the decorative cover plate there is a plastic box that holds the light switch in place. Use a silicone caulk to seal the box tight to the drywall or plaster surrounding the box. This will reduce the amount of air leak around the switch. There are also small insulation sleeves that you can put over the switch behind the cover plate. This will help as well, but caulk first.
This time of year my phone starts ringing on a regular basis for our free energy audit service. People do not like being cold and uncomfortable in their homes and we can help them solve this problem. If you live in the Harrisonburg / Rockingham County area, give our office a call to schedule an audit and we will help identify issues in your home. This audit can also identify solutions to increase comfort and cut energy bills for your home.
The issues I find in most homes are very similar and the biggest comfort challenge is air leakage. The biggest leaks come around the holes in your walls that you see everyday and don’t think about anymore. No, not your windows and doors, although those cause issues. The biggest air leaks when added up are probably your electrical outlets and light switches – both on outside walls and inside walls. Taking the decorative cover plate off the outlet / switch you can caulk the plastic box tight to the drywall behind. There are also pre-cut insulation patches that can be added behind the decorative plate. Finally adding child protective plugs in any open outlet will reduce air leakage through these many holes in your walls.
There is also a door in your home that most people don’t treat like a door. The attic access almost never has insulation over it and does not have weather-stripping. Adding rigid insulation glued in layers, on the back side of the attic access panel will keep insulation in place even after you retrieve the Christmas tree.
Another common problem I find in almost every home I get called in for an energy audit is lacking insulation. The easiest place to add insulation is usually the attic. I often find missing insulation that has been moved by people, animals, and wind in attics. Keeping a well insulated thermal envelope is critical for maximizing the comfort of your home.
If your home suffers from high energy bills or rooms that are not comfortable, give us a call today.
Check to see where the snow is melting faster than other areas. Of course, sun exposure and shade will change the patterns. You are looking for the spots where it seems like it should still be there and it has melted. Why did it melt faster? Could that be an area where the heat from inside your home is escaping to the attic? That is the most common issue. Spaces above recessed can lights typically melt quick as that is a big leak to your attic. The attic access is another source of heat escaping from your inside to your attic. Finding these leaks will help you seal the leak and improve the comfort of your home and reduce your energy bills.
If you find icicles on the exterior of your home, this could cause bigger problems. Ice dams can form on the edge of your roof if you have big heat leaks. This could create a dam along the edge and push water back under the shingles on your home. This could result in water damage in your exterior walls or ceiling. Even if there is not an ice dam, try to determine the cause of the icicle. Why did the snow melt in that location faster than others?
While I don’t enjoy snow at all – this is a great time to do a visual inspection of your home’s energy performance. Pay attention to the clues your home is providing for you.
Air leaks at light switches are a big cause of comfort issues in your home. There is an old saying in the construction industry that “you don’t want to build to tight.” So what window do you want to leave out of your home? The reality is leaks around light switches, electrical outlets, doors, windows, recessed lights, water pipes… and on and on are how we achieve “not too tight.” The unfortunate part is air leaks hurt the comfort in your home and impacts your monthly energy usage. It also impacts your indoor air quality.
Sealing up all the leaks is difficult to achieve in an existing home. These pictures show the drastic impact air can have around one light switch on an exterior wall. Read this post to see what fixes you can make, but if you want to save money and improve the comfort in you home – schedule an energy audit today. Give us a call at 540-437-0012 to start the process.
If you find icicles on the exterior of your home, this could cause bigger problems. Ice dams can form on the edge of your roof if you have big heat leaks. This could create a dam along the edge and push water back under the shingles on your home. This could result in water damage in your exterior walls or ceiling. Even if there is not an ice dam, try to determine the cause of the icicle. Why did the snow melt in that location faster than others?
