should we not air seal before adding insulation into a attic? A few cans of great stuff and a couple tubes of caulk would cost a lot less and could possibly give us a better savings to cost ratio. I also think that it is ridiculous that politicians think that they know more that the experts. Go ahead Mr. home owner and blow 13" of cellulose over all the can lights, exhaust fans, flu pipes and knob and tube in you attic it will save you a ton. Some things should be left for the professionals to do
Insulation over air leaks simply filters the heated air as it leaves the building. Consumers are often misled by home inspectors and insulation salesmen in this regard. They waste a lot of money and achieve none of the intended results.
Additionally, prior to air sealing … infiltration rates must be measured to ensure that sufficient ventilation remains for proper venting of poisonous combustion gases and that conditions conducive to mold are not created.
Any fool can recommend adding insulation to reduce energy bills … and most do.
It’s very sad for home owners who later discover (after consulting with a certified Building Analyst) that their new insulation must be removed or diminished in order to seal the air leaks that can actually cause up to a 45% loss of wasted energy (and money spent to buy it) … and then have to pay to restore it to the desired R value, again.
Air leakage is definitely to be addressed prior to insulating … and requires a blower door test to ensure that it is safely and efficiently done.
Home inspectors who discover missing or otherwise insufficient insulation can best serve their client by recommending that a certified professional perform a blower door test to measure air infiltration rates and locate leaks PRIOR to improving the insulation. They will save their client from wasting money while helping them to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of their new home.
INACHI cannot train you to be BPI Certified as a Building Analyst… Go to BPI.ORG to find a BPI school in your area and what is required to become certified…
INACHI claims with the DOE as valid energy auditors have not been verified as yet, and I suspect won’t be for quite awhile because of the way INACHI trains individuals (online training and no field exams).
No, InterNACHI will not be training for any other organization’s certification, of course. Nor can any other organization offer any of InterNACHI’s certifications.
Unless the DOE requires that we open our online scoring system to non-members, we won’t be.
InterNACHI was awarded a full license to use their formulas and calculations for our online system: http://www.nachi.org/hes.htm This is how the DOE is keeping the scoring unified… smart, IMHO.
The Home Energy Saver™ calculator was the first Internet-based tool for calculating energy use in residential buildings. About 1,000,000 people visit the HES site each year. Over 90% are homeowners and renters, but many third parties use the site as well. Traffic trends and other indicators of impact are summarized here.
We weren’t awarded a license to “use” it… we were awarded a license to provide it… including a full online interface for members to use which includes all sorts of bells, whistles, marketing options, custom reporting, certified score documentation (InterNACHI developed the counterfeit-resistant certificate for the program), and even window stickers (much like MPG stickers for cars).
I can email it to you tomorrow, but don’t post it as it isn’t a license for public display (the kind you’d frame and hang on a wall)… it is really just a document (licensing agreement).
