Home Infiltration Evaluation

Home Infiltration Evaluation

Our homes are made of thousands of individual parts put together in the field or as factory.  Because the house is an assembly of parts there can exist small gaps between windows, doors, pipe penetrations, exhaust ducts, wall connections and other parts. 

A blower door is a powerful fan that mounts into the frame of an exterior door.  The fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside the house.  The higher outside air pressure

then flows in through the unsealed cracks and openings.  The test determines the air infiltration rate of the house, how much air leaks into the house, and if improvements are needed.

The blower door is really good at telling us about the pathway of leakage in the house. The results are a cubic inch analysis of how big a cumulative hole exists in your home.  We can survey the house with a non-toxic smoke machine and pinpoint many of the locations of the leaks.  This will allow you, as the owner, or a contractor to determine the best way to seal those cracks and eliminate many of the leaks.  After the corrections are made you can perform the test again and see how well you actually did.

Our Energy Analysts have been certified to conduct comprehensive blower door tests on your home.  This process will simulate a worst case scenario of air leakage conditions in your home.  We will identify, in accordance with national testing standards, exactly how much air your home is letting in and letting and quantify the associated savings when brought into line with acceptable national standards.