All photos link to larger images.

We asked Larry Gorman from Building Energy Solutions to do a blower door test on our new little home to calculate the air infiltration. It was important for us to do this test before stucco and plaster so we could identify areas of leakage and caulk them while they were still exposed. Larry came out and installed his red fabric door around the opening of our front door. We didn't include the frame garage in this test since it will be unheated. We sealed off the bathroom fan vents, the wood stove pipe and the doggie door opening and closed all of the doors and windows tightly.

Attached to the door are two pressure sensors that display both the building pressure and the blower door fan flow readings. These instruments provide quick and accurate air tightness test results. The white fan mounted in the blower door was turned on and began sucking air out of the house. The difference in pressure forced outside air into the house through cracks and penetrations. While the fan was on, we went around the whole house feeling windows, doors and penetrations for leaks. We also used a smoke device and incense to visually identify the leakage. We marked our problem areas, then caulked and foamed them. The test was run again and our leakage was reduced by half.

After collecting the data from the test and on our home (which included the volume, surface area, number of occupants, floor area and current temperature) Larry uploaded it to his laptop that ran the calculations and provided a report on the building's air tightness. The report includes leakage areas, ACH50, CFM50, a building leakage curve, the estimated natural and design infiltration rates and cost of air leakage. He was very instructive as he explained current standards for indoor air quality and the standards set by Energy Star and Building America that qualify a structure for their programs. He suggested that we submit our little house for these certifications since our test results for infiltration were within their guidelines.

If you live in New Mexico and would like an energy test on your new or existing home we recommend that you contact Larry Gorman at 505.269.2969 or visit his web site here. In addition to blower door testing, Larry does duct blaster testing, indoor air quality investigations, energy audits and will consult with you about cost effective energy improvements for your home. If you live outside of New Mexico, Larry will recommend a local company to do the work for you.