Considering Air Sealing Your Okanagan Home? 3 Things to Know
If you’re thinking of getting into the real estate market in the Okanagan, we know there are tonnes of things to consider and get in order.
If you’re joining forces with a reputable home builder for a brand new pad, or working with a realtor for a previously owned home, air sealing likely has come up in conversation.
PSA- And if it hasn’t, it really should have.
BC took home the gold for the most energy efficient province in Canada, so it’s no surprise that Okanagan homeowners are well on their way with air sealing in their homes.
Wait- What is Air Sealing?
Air sealing is the process of locating and sealing entry and exit points in a home, that are responsible for excess leakage of air.
There are a number of methods out there- some more dated than others, but they all aim to do one thing.
Stop excess air from leaving your home.
And without being shown the magnitude of how big of a problem excess air leakage actually is, it can be easy to assume it’s no biggie or not realize there’s a problem at all.
But it is. On average, homes leak 1.5 – 3x more air than they should. Homes should change air about once every three hours. Leaky homes on the other hand tend to change their air up to once every 30 minutes, which means an excessive amount of leakage that’s not noticed by the untrained eye.
Considering Air Sealing?
If you’ve already been introduced to the concept of air sealing, we urge you to actively consider it in your home buying journey.
The benefits of air sealing can be somewhat difficult to understand when you can’t actually see the problem. Air leakage entry and exit points- or building envelopes, are not visible to the naked eye.
But once you know, you know. The benefits of air sealing are pretty hard to ignore. Just a few for you-
✔Air sealing saves you up to a third on your monthly utility bills. Yep- a third! Over the course of your homes lifetime, that can be a fair chunk of your hard earned money saved.
✔Enjoy peace and quiet? Air sealing can reduce external noise by up to 40%. If children screaming and cars roaring aren’t your thing….
✔Air sealing can reduce mold and moisture spots by up to 80%. 80% less mold? Absolutely!
✔If you’re tired of hot & cold spots in your home, or temperature inconsistencies, it’s fair to blame air leakage and even more fair to consider air sealing a great combatting tool.
3 Things To Know When Considering Air Sealing
- AeroBarrier Air Sealing Differs From Other Methods
AeroBarrier is air sealing technology on a revolutionary scale.
It’s a patented technology that replaces older, manual methods of air sealing. It’s a premium answer to near perfect air sealing, that surpasses both the process and outcomes of traditional methods.
Other common methods include tape, expanding foam and caulking.
The difference between more traditional methods and AeroBarrier lies in the precision, the speed and the efficiency.
The biggest difference really lies in the ability for air sealing technology to detect and fill air leakage points that the human eye can’t see. Methods like caulking rely on manual detection and manual labor, which are quite heavily limited by human vision and human error.
With many air leakage points being minute in size, manual methods often fail to address these teeny holes. AeroBarrier relies on technology, not the human eye, which accounts for it’s unparalleled precision and effectiveness.
- Your Attic is the Worst Air Leakage Offender
Any room in your home can be victim of air leakage points, but your attic really takes the cake.
The reason is simple. Your attic is one of the first points to make contact with the external environment of your home. Air rises, making your attic the last line of defense to keep your heating and cooling in.
Your attic isn’t exactly prone to any more leakage points than other areas of your home, but if they’re there-the air is not staying in.
When we measure air leakage in a home with AeroBarrier, the attic is sometimes responsible for up to 50% of all air leakage within a home.
The second worst offender?
Your basement.
The above-grade portion of basement walls, and the junction between the foundation and the wooden sill are typically big air leakage holes.
(As a rule, any junction between systems or materials is a weak point.)
New home builders in the Okanagan typically use a “sill seal”- but for existing homes, the wooden framing typically sits on a brick or block foundation. Add that to the building perimeter and the small crack between the two, and you’re on your way to a notable amount of air leakage from your basement.
- Get On Air Sealing Sooner Rather Than Later
Prevention is the best method when it comes to air sealing.
If you’re working with a new home builder in the Okanagan, putting air sealing into the construction plan can mean getting ahead of the curve.
Instantly save on utility bills, protect the structural integrity of the home and don’t spend a minute worrying about air leakage. Long term air leakage allows moisture to roam freely around your home and can cause mould build up and wood rot.
For homes already built, air sealing for prevention rather than reaction, will stop any further damage to the home.
Save yourself some costly headaches and hefty replacement bills in the future.