Air Sealing and Insulation
Air sealing and insulation are the most basic, and most essential weatherization measures. We will almost always recommend these measures during your Next Step Living Audit. When installed together, air sealing and insulation form a proper thermal barrier, and are simply the most cost effective way to save energy and make your home more comfortable.
Substantial rebates and financial incentives exist for Massachusetts and New Hampshire residents.
The Weatherization Essentials
Air Sealing
Air Sealing
Annual savings from air sealing: 10-15%
During your audit, we will often recommend air sealing be done in your basement and/or attic as a top priority. We prioritize it because we cannot insulate until the air sealing is completed. Furthermore, it is the most cost-effective way to substantially lower your energy consumption.
What it is:
Air sealing is the act of stopping air movement through holes, cracks, chases and penetrations between living space and unheated spaces (attic, basement, outside)
What it does:
Controlling the air flow in your home results in a warmer home in the winter and a cooler home in the summer. Air sealing can reduce moisture issues, improve indoor air quality, and reduce the “stack effect” that is responsible for uncomfortable drafts and high energy bills. There is a complex science to your home, and a properly sealed home is a key component to ensure that it functions properly.
How we do it:
Air sealing involves far more than caulking around windows and sealing around door frames. Comprehensive air sealing is dirty and time consuming work spent crawling around your attic and basement, using various foams and caulks to sealing wall tops, piping penetrations, chimney chases and countless other problem areas that our field experts know intimately.
We use a blower door every time we finish air sealing so that we can accurately quantify how much reduction we achieved.
Insulation
Insulation
Annual savings from insulation: 15-30%
After air sealing the next step is proper insulation. Almost every home we see has inadequate and aged attic insulation, minimal basement insulation and many of them have no wall insulation all together. However, when installed properly, insulation accounts for major energy savings and increased comfort.
The typical attic has 6 inches of older fiberglass batts installed poorly. These days attics should have at least 10-15 inches of insulation, preferably blown-in cellulose. The EPA recommends around 14 or 15 inches for this area of the country. Next Step Living technicians and subcontractors are held to the highest standards of quality and workmanship and will ensure the job is completed in a comprehensive, responsible, respectable manner. Our typical insulation projects involve:
- Installing blown-in cellulose in the attics
- Filling exterior walls with dense-packed cellulose
- Solving complex insulation voids in tight spaces, behind attic knee walls and in crawlspaces
- Installing fiberglass batt insulation in basement ceilings, particularly around the perimeter
ISMs
Immediate Savings Measures
Annual savings from ISMs: 2-10%
We install ISMs so that you will begin to see savings as soon as our assessment ends.
Efficient flow sink aerators and shower heads: efficient or “lower-flow” water devices help you conserve water therefore reducing the amount of that needs to be heated. The pressure and feel stay the same, but you save money.
Compact Fluorescent Lampss: CFLs use one quarter of the wattage as standard incandescent bulbs. They have come a long way, even from one year ago so you can enjoy significantly lower electric bills without noticing any aesthetic change.(this is true but we are using the same bulbs that were being installed 4 years ago)
Hot water pipe insulation: Heat is lost through exposed pipes that carry hot water away from the tank, especially in the first several feet. This is a simple improvement only takes a few minutes and has less than a year payback usually.
Door sweeps and window caulking: These quick and easy measures are quick solutions to help address those pesky drafts. However, they will not adequately replace a comprehensive air sealing job.
Annual savings from insulation: 15-30%
Air sealing almost always needs to be bundled with proper insulation. Almost every house we see has inadequate and worn out attic insulation and minimal basement insulation; wall insulation is another story all together. Insulation is slightly more expensive, but when installed, insulation accounts for major energy savings and comfort.
The typical attic has 6 in. of pink fiberglass batts – it should have 10-16 in. of eco-friendly blown-in cellulose. Whether it is our own technicians or a subcontractor, our work is held to the highest standards of quality and workmanship. We hold ourselves accountable for any mess, damage, or unsatisfactory job.
Our typical insulation projects involve:
- Blowing cellulose into attics
- Dense packing exterior walls
- Dense packing other confined areas such as knee walls, attic floors, etc.
- Insulating basement ceilings with fiberglass batts
- Air duct sealing and insulation