Insulation

Constantin

... in an ideal world, one woudl benefit from an IR scan and blower door test before and after the insulation/weatherization work to plan ahead and to ensure that the job was done right. Hopefully, as IR cameras become less expensive, more outfits will have them in their toolchest.

Carl M.

Insulation Tools

Ok. I've finally got my steam heat working properly thanks to some information on this website.

Now, I live in an old home and need to add insulation. Are there any tools that I can use to see where I'm losing heat before I add the insulation?

I could guess and insulate the "standard" places; but I'm rapidly finding that "guessing" is not cost effective...

- Carl M.

Carl M.

Insulation Tools

Ok. I've finally got my steam heat working properly and I can crank up my heat rather nicely.

Now, the next thing for me to do is to find out where my old house is losing heat so that I can add insulation.

I could guess and insulate the "standard" places; but I'm rapidly finding that "guessing" is not cost effective... (i.e., why should I insulate where I "think" I should rather than do some quantitive measurements and insulate by the numbers...)

What tools do you guys use to figure this out?
- Carl M.

Rodney Summers

The big three

Glass (windows), infiltration (sealing all the cracks) and the walls/roof insulation. The only real way to see where the house is losing heat is to do an infrared scan of the outside during cold weather, and a blower door test to see where the losses are. Calculations are only as good as the data you can collect to put into it.

Bob W._3

Have you checked with your local utilities to see if any of them offer an extended energy audit? Our gas company charged us $65.00 for one that included a blower door test and some infrared photos, showing areas of infiltration.

[Deleted User]

Well spent money...

I'm seriously considering requiring it on every job we do.

Infiltration is the ONE factor that we have virtually NO control over as heating contractors, and it's the ONE thing that WILL eat your lunch, in a HURRY.

A blower door and FLIR camera are your first best conservation dollars spent. They will tell you where and how to spend the rest of your hard earned dollars.

Wise money.

ME

soot_seeker_4

one more thing - an ir thermometer...

just get yourself one of those $75. handheld ir laser thermometers. walk around the house & aim it at suspect areas & it will tell you a lot about what's happening there - even behind walls where there is insulation lacking, etc. this is easily your most economical 1st line of defense in finding leakage/cold spots around walls, seams, & window frames, etc. worked really great for me.

ss