HOW TO TURN YOUR GLORIFIED TENT INTO A THERMALLY COMFORTABLE HOME
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DIY tips to air tightening your building envelope :
If your home feels like a freezer in winter and a sweat box in summer, it is obviously not built well and requires some fixing to provide you with thermal comfort.
The best way to do that is renovating and retrofitting your home to make it draught tight, have mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and insulate it well. Yet, if you can’t afford to do that or don’t own your residence there are still plenty of little "DIY band – aids" that will let you increase your thermal comfort. Although it may seem insignificant, reducing air leak-age in your home can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs according to the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
Gaps and draughts waste precious energy. Unfortunately most Australian homes are set up in a way that relies on air exchange of indoors and outdoors, one could say, they are set up to “waste energy by design”. For example appliances like un-flued gas heaters require a level of fixed ventilation and high moisture level air needs to be exchanged to prevent development of mould. It is unwise to rely on air leakage for ventilation. During cold or windy weather, too much air may enter the house. When it's warmer and less windy, not enough air may enter, which can result in poor indoor air quality. Air leakage also contributes to moisture problems that can affect occupants’ health and the structure’s durability.
The recommended strategy is to reduce air leakage as much as possible and to provide controlled ventilation as needed. So when you are DIY draught proofing, it is important to ensure you allow for those requirements.
First test your home for air tightness.
The professional way to do that is a blower door test which can physically locate all air leakage sites in the building envelope.
If you opt to DIY :
1 Close openings : most exhaust fans are not sealed to the outside air. You can fit a self-closing lid over the outlet which blows open when the fan is on and falls shut when the fan stops. Keep the fireplace flue damper closed when not in use and make sure it closes tight. Permanently close fixed wall vents. They are found in older homes and are no longer required under building regulations. Reduce air leaked from a vented skylight by installing a clear plastic seal or light diffuser at the base of the skylight shaft. Hold a piece of paper in areas where you suspect a leak. The paper will move if you’ve got air coming in.
2 Eliminate gaps where different building materials meet on the outside of your home. Check the siding alongside the chimney, or exterior brick connected to a cement foundation, exterior corners, outdoor faucets or other places that are touching but not solid, air might be escaping or entering through a gap or crack.
3 Seal cracks and gaps between bricks, around plumbing intrusions and along the roof line, those are just some examples of air-leaks that can be found in your home as a result of it moving over time. Use the flashlight method for testing. This is similar to the blower door test, but using light instead of air. Once you’ve found gaps, ask someone to shine a flashlight through the gaps from indoors when it’s dark outside. Stand outside and watch for rays of light seeping through. This should reveal where your cracks are, especially if they are large gaps.
4 Seal air leakages, install foam gaskets for example behind outlet and switch plates on walls. Feel around for air movement or hold a lit candle around suspected air leaks and watch for a flicker. Top spots to check are where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring comes through walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets, including electrical outlets, switch plates, electrical and gas service entrances, baseboards, attic hatches, cable TV and phone lines, where dryer vents pass through walls, vents and fans, wall- or window-mounted air conditioners, and recessed lighting.
5 Caulk and weather strip doors and windows that leak air. Shut a door or window on a dollar bill. If you can easily pull the dollar bill out, you’ve likely got a window air leak that needs to be addressed.
If you want more than a "DIY band aid" and get professional help to renovate and retrofit your home, I am happy to assist you, please get in touch.
If your home feels like a freezer in winter and a sweat box in summer, it is obviously not built well and requires some fixing to provide you with thermal comfort.
The best way to do that is renovating and retrofitting your home to make it draught tight, have mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and insulate it well. Yet, if you can’t afford to do that or don’t own your residence there are still plenty of little "DIY band – aids" that will let you increase your thermal comfort. Although it may seem insignificant, reducing air leak-age in your home can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs according to the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
Gaps and draughts waste precious energy. Unfortunately most Australian homes are set up in a way that relies on air exchange of indoors and outdoors, one could say, they are set up to “waste energy by design”. For example appliances like un-flued gas heaters require a level of fixed ventilation and high moisture level air needs to be exchanged to prevent development of mould. It is unwise to rely on air leakage for ventilation. During cold or windy weather, too much air may enter the house. When it's warmer and less windy, not enough air may enter, which can result in poor indoor air quality. Air leakage also contributes to moisture problems that can affect occupants’ health and the structure’s durability.
The recommended strategy is to reduce air leakage as much as possible and to provide controlled ventilation as needed. So when you are DIY draught proofing, it is important to ensure you allow for those requirements.
First test your home for air tightness.
The professional way to do that is a blower door test which can physically locate all air leakage sites in the building envelope.
If you opt to DIY :
1 Close openings : most exhaust fans are not sealed to the outside air. You can fit a self-closing lid over the outlet which blows open when the fan is on and falls shut when the fan stops. Keep the fireplace flue damper closed when not in use and make sure it closes tight. Permanently close fixed wall vents. They are found in older homes and are no longer required under building regulations. Reduce air leaked from a vented skylight by installing a clear plastic seal or light diffuser at the base of the skylight shaft. Hold a piece of paper in areas where you suspect a leak. The paper will move if you’ve got air coming in.
2 Eliminate gaps where different building materials meet on the outside of your home. Check the siding alongside the chimney, or exterior brick connected to a cement foundation, exterior corners, outdoor faucets or other places that are touching but not solid, air might be escaping or entering through a gap or crack.
3 Seal cracks and gaps between bricks, around plumbing intrusions and along the roof line, those are just some examples of air-leaks that can be found in your home as a result of it moving over time. Use the flashlight method for testing. This is similar to the blower door test, but using light instead of air. Once you’ve found gaps, ask someone to shine a flashlight through the gaps from indoors when it’s dark outside. Stand outside and watch for rays of light seeping through. This should reveal where your cracks are, especially if they are large gaps.
4 Seal air leakages, install foam gaskets for example behind outlet and switch plates on walls. Feel around for air movement or hold a lit candle around suspected air leaks and watch for a flicker. Top spots to check are where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring comes through walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets, including electrical outlets, switch plates, electrical and gas service entrances, baseboards, attic hatches, cable TV and phone lines, where dryer vents pass through walls, vents and fans, wall- or window-mounted air conditioners, and recessed lighting.
5 Caulk and weather strip doors and windows that leak air. Shut a door or window on a dollar bill. If you can easily pull the dollar bill out, you’ve likely got a window air leak that needs to be addressed.
If you want more than a "DIY band aid" and get professional help to renovate and retrofit your home, I am happy to assist you, please get in touch.
