Indoor Air Quality and Energy Audits

Comment

Comment by Gary Kahanak on January 12, 2011 at 3:37pm

@John Milligan--This is a work in progress.  So far the supply ducts in the crawlspace have been repaired and sealed, and all floor penetrations have been sealed.  This was the quickest and least expensive way to limit infiltration of crawlspace air into the home.  A recommendation was made to properly install a vapor barrier on the crawlspace floor at their earliest opportunity.  An insulated, unvented crawlspace can be a good solution for some homes, but humidity and moisture control is critical.  Attaining it can be very difficult, and expensive, in some retrofit situations.  If one cannot be assured of excellent moisture control, it's usually better to go with a vented crawlspace, and put the money into air sealing and insulating the subfloor and ductwork.

Comment by John Milligan on January 12, 2011 at 2:37pm

How did you resolve the crawlspace issues? Did you decide to bring crawlspace into conditioned space or did you seal off at ceiling of crawl space. I have heard mix opinions on what to do with unvented crawl spaces.

Comment by Jon LaMonte on January 5, 2011 at 7:16pm

Gary, I agree with you.  Here in Atlanta I have made comfort and air quality the main issue with energy efficiency as an added benefit.  I think that too many auditors get caught up in the technical side of things and forget that most people just want a comfortable, healthy, and durable home to live in.  This approach has changed my marketing strategies and homeowners have responded to it more favorably, especially at quote time.  Good job.