Chicago Home Inspection | Chicago Energy Audits | Domicile Consulting Blog

Dealing with a Flooded Basement

2011-07-31T15:38:00.005-05:00

What to do if your basement floods?

Call your city. City staff will inspect the problem, assess the flooding and attempt to determine the source(s) of flooding. If the problem lies with the City’s infrastructure, the City will schedule the necessary repair or include it in the budget. If the flooding is a result of a blocked sewer lateral or drain pipe, leaking foundation walls or poor lot drainage, or a failure of the sump pump, the property owner is responsible for repairs and any subsequent damage caused by flooding. Regardless of who is at fault, City staff will advise you of a possible course of action to take.
Call your insurance company as soon as possible and report property damage caused by the flooding. Take pictures and save receipts from emergency repair work or cleanups.
Because dealing with a flooded area can be dangerous, extra safety precautions should be taken.

When in doubt, contact the County Department of Health.

Contact a Water Damage Professional

Please follow these safety tips:

Because electrocution is always a danger in a flooded basement, wait until the water recedes before you begin cleanup. If you decide to walk in the water, the electricity must be shut off at the main box.
Since flood water may be contaminated with sewage, wear rubber boots and gloves to minimize skin contact. Do not smoke, eat or touch your face while in a flooded area. If you receive an open wound while working in a flooded area, seek medical attention immediately.
Do not allow children or pets near the flooded area.
Remember that flooded areas will be slippery, even after the water recedes.
If a gas odor is present, do not touch any electrical fixtures, telephones or switches – any spark may ignite the gas. Leave immediately, leaving the doors open to ventilate, and call the Fire Department and the gas company from a safe place. Do not light a match or use any open flame on your way out of the house.
If the furnace or other appliances became wet, have them inspected by a qualified service technician before using them. Turning on wet electrical equipment could produce shock, endangering life and may burn out equipment. Once your furnace is cleared for use, replace the filter with a new, dry filter. Dispose of all food that became wet - do not eat it.
Discard any medicines and personal products that came into contact with the flood water.

Having an Mold Intrusion Inspection of your home will help minimize the chances of flooding.

5 Tips To Help You Save Energy

2011-06-22T16:38:00.000-05:00

Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves.

Why make your home more energy efficient? Here are a few good reasons:

Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions’ financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous in most parts of the U.S.
It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient.
It increases indoor comfort levels.
It reduces our impact on climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming.
It reduces pollution. Conventional power production introduces pollutants that find their way into the air, soil and water supplies.

So, here are 5 tips that you can do yourself to save energy.

1. Better ways to heat and cool your house.
As much as half of the energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling. The following are a few ways that energy bills can be reduced through adjustments to the heating and cooling systems:

Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can be used in place of air conditioners, which require a large amount of energy.
Periodically replace air filters in air conditioners and heaters (recommended every 90 days).
Set thermostats to an appropriate temperature. Specifically, they should be turned down at night and when no one is home. In most homes, about 2% of the heating bill will be saved for each degree that the thermostat is lowered for at least eight hours each day. Turning down the thermostat from 75° F to 70°F, for example, saves about 10% on heating costs.
Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat saves money by allowing heating and cooling appliances to be automatically turned down during times that no one is home and at night. Programmable thermostats contain no mercury and, in some climate zones, can save up to $150 per year in energy costs.
At night, curtains drawn over windows will better insulate the room.

2. Install a tankless water heater.
Demand water heaters (tankless or instantaneous) provide hot water only as it is needed. They don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with storage water heaters, which will save on energy costs. Demand water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. Therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses required by traditional storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. Either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water. As a result, demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don’t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water.

3. Replace incandescent lights.
The average household dedicates 11% of its energy budget to lighting. Traditional incandescent lights convert approximately only 10% of the energy they consume into light, while the rest becomes heat. The use of new lighting technologies, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), can reduce energy use required by lighting by 50% to 75%. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time lights are on but not being used. Here are some facts about CFLs and LEDs:

CFLs use 75% less energy and last about 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
LEDs last even longer than CFLs and consume less energy.
LEDs have no moving parts and, unlike CFLs, they contain no mercury.

4. Seal and insulate your home.
Sealing and insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a home more comfortable and energy efficient -– and you can do it yourself. A tightly sealed home can improve comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills. An InterNACHI energy auditor can be hired to assess envelope leakage and recommend fixes that will dramatically increase comfort and energy savings.
The following are some common places where leakage may occur:

electrical outlets;
mail slots;
around pipes and wires;
wall- or window-mounted air conditioners;
attic hatches;
fireplace dampers;
weatherstripping around doors;
baseboards;
window frames; and
switch plates.

Because hot air rises, air leaks are most likely to occur in the attic. Homeowners can perform a variety of repairs and maintenance to their attics that save them money on cooling and heating, such as:

Plug the large holes. Locations in the attic where leakage is most likely to be the greatest are where walls meet the attic floor, behind and under attic knee walls, and in dropped-ceiling areas.
Seal the small holes. You can easily do this by looking for areas where the insulation is darkened. Darkened insulation is a result of dusty interior air being filtered by insulation before leaking through small holes in the building envelope. In cold weather, you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm, moist air condensing and then freezing as it hits the cold attic air. In warmer weather, you’ll find water staining in these same areas. Use expanding foam or caulk to seal the openings around plumbing vent pipes and electrical wires. Cover the areas with insulation after the caulk is dry.
Seal up the attic access panel with weatherstripping. You can cut a piece of fiberglass or rigid foam board insulation the same size as the attic hatch and glue it to the back of the attic access panel. If you have pull-down attic stairs or an attic door, these should be sealed in a similar manner.

5. Install efficient shower heads and toilets.
The following systems can be installed to conserve water usage in homes:

low-flow shower heads. They are available in different flow rates, and some have a pause button which shuts off the water while the bather lathers up;
low-flow toilets. Toilets consume 30% to 40% of the total water used in homes, making them the biggest water users. Replacing an older 3.5-gallon toilet with a modern, low-flow 1.6-gallon toilet can reduce usage an average of two gallons-per-flush (GPF), saving 12,000 gallons of water per year. Low-flow toilets usually have “1.6 GPF” marked on the bowl behind the seat or inside the tank;
vacuum-assist toilets. These types of toilets have a vacuum chamber which uses a siphon action to suck air from the trap beneath the bowl, allowing it to quickly fill with water to clear waste. Vacuum toilets are relatively quiet; and
dual-flush toilets. Dual-flush toilets have been used in Europe and Australia for years, and are now gaining in popularity in the U.S. Dual-flush toilets let you choose between a 1-gallon (or less) flush for liquid waste, and a 1.6-gallon flush for solid waste. Dual-flush 1.6-GPF toilets reduce water consumption by an additional 30%.

Have an Energy Audit of your home will help you determine what areas you can improve upon.

The importance of having a Moisture Instrusion Inspection

2011-04-26T12:29:00.002-05:00

Moisture intrusion can be the cause of building defects, as well as health ailments for the building's occupants.

Some common moisture-related problems include:

structural wood decay;
high indoor humidity and resulting condensation;
expansive soil, which may crack the foundation through changes in volume, or softened soil, which may lose its ability to support an overlying structure;
undermined foundations;
metal corrosion;
ice dams; and
mold growth. Mold can only grow in the presence of high levels of moisture. People who suffer from the following conditions can be seriously (even fatally) harmed if exposed to elevated levels of airborne mold spores:
- asthma;
- allergies;
- lung disease; and/or
- compromised immune systems

How does moisture get into the house?
Moisture or water vapor moves into a house in the following ways:

air infiltration. Air movement accounts for more than 98% of all water vapor movement in building cavities. Air naturally moves from high-pressure areas to lower ones by the easiest path possible, such as a hole or crack in the building envelope. Moisture transfer by air currents is very fast (in the range of several hundred cubic feet of air per minute). Replacement air will infiltrate through the building envelope unless unintended air paths are carefully and permanently sealed;
by diffusion through building material. Most building materials slow moisture diffusion, to a large degree, although they never stop it completely;
leaks from roof;
plumbing leaks;
flooding, which can be caused by seepage from runoff or rising groundwater; it may be seasonal or catastrophic; and
human activities, including bathing, cooking, dishwashing and washing clothes. Indoor plants, too, may be a significant source of high levels of humidity.

Therefore, it's important to have you home or workplace inspected by a certified Moisture Intrusion Specialist. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us about your Moisture Intrusion concerns.

Home Energy Audits

2011-03-30T15:52:00.001-05:00

A home energy audit is often the first step in making your home more efficient. An audit can help you assess how much energy your home uses and evaluate what measures you can take to improve efficiency.

If you are interested in getting specific recommendations for improving the efficiency of your home, consider contacting a professional Home Energy Auditor. A professional auditor can use a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of your home. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation.

But remember, audits alone don't save energy. You need to implement the recommended improvements to enhance energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and increase comfort.

The value of Bathroom Vent Fans

2011-02-20T15:54:00.000-06:00

Normal bathroom activities such as showering, bathing, etc. can significantly raise your indoor humidity levels. In fact, studies have shown that the typical family of four converts three gallons of water into water vapor every day, and it only requires four to six pints of water to raise the indoor relatively humidity of a 1,000 square foot home from 40 to 60 percent. In turn, this excess moisture is a complex problem that can cause a number of undesirable conditions such as the following:

Mold or mildew growth on walls, ceilings & showers
Damp spots on walls and ceilings
Condensation, ice, or frost on the inside of windows
Peeling paint
Sweating water pipes

Therefore, proper ventilation in your bathroom help minimize excess moisture in your home. Furthermore, because bathroom exhaust fans assist in the prevention of mildew and mold growth, they can alleviate or even prevent allergic reactions and asthma. As well, in colder climates, bathroom exhaust fans can even be used as part of a strategy to provide whole-house ventilation.

A guide to prepare you for your Home Inpection

2010-12-20T07:49:00.001-06:00

If you're a Seller, then you should be aware of several things that may make the inspection process more efficient. Home inspections usually vary in times from two to five hours, depending on the size of the house.

The following tips will help you be prepared for your home inspection.

1. Pets and large animals should be leashed up or transferred off site.
2. The Home inspector will operate almost everything in the house, so make sure they have access.
3. Make sure the utilities are on: gas, water and electricity.
4. Make sure the pilot lights are on to gas fired mechanical units, gas water heaters, pool heaters, spas, fireplaces.
5. Replace any burned out light bulbs.
6. Test smoke alarms and replace batteries if needed.
7. Make sure filters and media filters have been changed in HVAC Systems.
8. Remove any wood, furniture, debris and stored items away from foundation and structural components.
9. Move any objects around electrical panel so that the panel front can be removed.
10. Make sure nothing is blocking the attic access such as automobiles, storage, etc.
11. Remove any locks from gates, service panels, etc. so a home inspector has access.
12. Move any items, which may restrict observation in the attic and crawl space.
13. Trim overgrown bushes, vegetation, and trees away from the house.
14. Repair or replace items such as damaged gutters, down spouts, knobs, hinges, latches, etc.
15. The swimming pool and hot tub equipment should be operational.
16. Copies of receipts for recent installation, cleaning and/or servicing of any major items such as the roof, HVAC system or other appliances should be provided.

New construction, short sales and bank-owned home inspections.

2010-11-20T08:03:00.002-06:00

Purchasing from a builder, a financially-distressed seller or a bank are special cases, and inspection negotiations will not proceed the way they normally do with a typical home seller.

New construction – Builders often will not allow an “inspection contingency”. Once you sign a contract to buy the home that they are building, you are usually locked-in to the purchase, except for some instances when you cannot obtain financing. Such contracts are definitely slanted in favor of the builder, but the logic here is pretty easy to understand. Builders will offer limited warranties on their homes and any issues that surface during an inspection will likely be covered by such a warranty. They don’t need to allow a contingency, since they will be obligated to fix the issues anyway. Builders also allow you to do a punch list of final items during their walkthrough, giving the buyer an opportunity to have minor cosmetic issues resolved. Therefore, it is recommended that you use a independent trained Home Inspector to inspect your newly constructed home prior to doing your final walkthrough, as they'll find items that you normally wouldn't think to check, etc.
Short sales – In a short sale, the seller is trying to sell the home for less than they owe on their mortgage and doesn’t have money available to cover the balance. They request that they bank take a lower payoff for the mortgage because they cannot afford to sell, yet desperately need to sell. People in this situation are often in financial distress, whether that be from unemployment, an unexpected injury, or looming bankruptcy. If a seller doesn’t have any money to cover their daily living expenses, they also are not going to have money to cover a list of repairs. You will be stuck with an “as-is” purchase in most instances. You need to be comfortable that the purchase price is low enough to take on the list of repairs that will become your problem when you buy the house. So as previously suggested, it is wise for you to use a independent trained Home Inspector to inspect the property to minimize any surprises after purchase.
Bank-owned – When a home is foreclosed by the bank, they will hire brokers to help them sell the home on the open market. They will spend a modest amount of money to clean up the property and make it at least presentable in order to sell. When you negotiate with banks, they will often have strongly worded contracts that insist you are buying the home “as-is”. Most banks will stick to their “as-is” provisions, and they are not in the business of rehabilitating homes. We have seen banks occasionally negotiate or offer to fix very major issues, so you should try to negotiate, but stick to only the really big problems. It is a waste of your time to ask a bank to fix a broken light switch or leaky faucet. They will say no. Again, as we've stated, it is wise for you to use a independent trained Home Inspector to inspect the property to minimize any surprises after purchase.

Despite these realities, a Home Inspector to help you understand what you're getting yourself into and what the potential repairs costs would be, thus enabling you to have the proper information to make a educated decision.

Options when repair items are identified during the inspection process.

2010-10-16T06:25:00.001-05:00

Most real estate contracts in Illinois allow for a 5-day home inspection period and we suggest you take advantage of it. They will also outline a negotiation process. During that negotiation, you can ask the seller to fix items that need repair, you can ask the seller for a credit to compensate you for the future repairs, or you can request a hybrid of these two options. The seller then has X amount of days to respond to your requests. They can accept the requests, reject the requests, or offer an alternative proposal. Then there's another X amount of days for the buyer to respond if the seller has rejected or made an alternative proposal. In most inspection contingency, the buyer maintains control of the process and does not lose their opportunity to purchase the home if they request repairs. The seller can say no, and then the buyer has a chance to terminate the agreement if they wish.

Fall Energy Saving Tips

2010-09-28T17:59:00.002-05:00

About 80 to 85% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used for washing clothes - use less water and use cooler water. Your clothes will be just as clean as using warm, or hot water and you'll save money by not heating water to wash clothes. Costs are 26¢ per load using hot water and 11¢ per load using warm water.
Use natural gas for cooking, water heating and drying clothes. Natural gas can save up to 30% more in costs than using electric for these appliances and is better for the environment. GRU has natural gas rebates available.
Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F. For each 10°F reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3% - 5% in energy costs.

Why an Inspection for a Condo Purchase is Important

2010-08-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

In Chicago condominiums are abundant, we often have occasion to speak with buyers who are anguishing over whether they need an inspection or not. Just like buyers who are purchasing a newly built home, condominium purchasers often feel that it’s not necessary to get a home inspection. The main reason for condos is that new buyers often believe that anything wrong with the unit is the responsibility of someone else - namely the condo association.

In Chicago, condos run the gamut from high rises with hundreds of unit owners to 2-unit condos; big associations with monthly dues and accrual funds, to duplex owners with no monthly dues who split their expenses when they need a new roof or when their siding blows off. Regardless of the size of a condo association, there are reasons upon reasons why buyers need a home inspection:

Windows - Every condo has windows. And older condos have windows that are leaky, have failed thermal seals between the glass panes, don't operate or have broken locks, or are the source of leaks into the unit. Who repairs defective windows? You do, that's who. And because most condo associations require that you install replacement windows of a specific design and manufacturer, the cost to replace defective windows can be surprisingly high. A condo inspection will uncover window defects that could cost you out-of-pocket hundreds of dollars, or more.
Electrical Panels - Hidden inside a panel could contain wiring defects had been working for years and not up to code or worst and problem waiting to happen.
Decks – Can be an unbudgeted expense, like replacing 10 decks at a cost of $5,000+ each, is usually taken care of with a special assessment - of $5,000+ per unit owner! The unknowing buyer would inherit a costly problem. An inspection can flush out these kind of things.
General Items - 2-section sliding patio door with a bad section of thermal glass and broken handles to a defective garbage disposal to frozen casement windows to broken electric outlets.
Water heaters – In some condo’s they are located in the unit, if they are old they could be leaking or not heating efficiently. Thus if not found, would be a cost incurred the by new buyer later.

Of course, we have inspected condos that were relatively "clean" of defects. However, at least 80% of the inspections we do uncover one or more problems that exceed the cost of our inspection. Thus going without a condo inspection leaves most buyers exposed to unanticipated expenses.

10 Mold Prevention Tips

2010-07-28T08:38:00.001-05:00

10 Mold Prevention Tips

1. Moisture control is the key!!!!

2. Keep your home or building clean and dry; dry wet or damp areas within 48 hours.

3. Fix leaky plumbing and leaks in your home or building as soon as possible.

4. Watch for condensation and wet spots; fix the sources of moisture problems as soon as possible.

5. Prevent moisture due to condensation by increasing surface temperature or reducing the moisture level in air (humidity). To increase surface temperature, insulate or increase air

circulation. To reduce the moisture level in air, repair leaks and increase ventilation (if

outside air is cold and dry), or dehumidify (if outdoor air is warm and humid).

6. Keep heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) drip pans clean, flowing

properly, and unobstructed.

7. Vent moisture-generating appliances, such as dryers, to the outside where possible.

8. Maintain low indoor humidity, below 60 percent relative humidity (RH), ideally 30

percent to 50 percent, if possible.

9. Perform regular home or building HVAC inspections and maintenance as scheduled.

10. Don’t let foundations stay wet. Provide drainage and slope the ground away from the

foundation.

Saving Energy Through Efficient Lighting

2010-06-28T06:33:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Studies show that in the US, an verageousehold spends 5-10% of its energy budget on lighting. This shows that there is a potential of saving money by achieving higher efficiency lighting. Here are some useful tips on achieving energy efficient lighting and reducing your next electricity bill.

Tip #1 - Replace Lamps and Fixtures

Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) is identified as a good energy efficient lighting option. Begin by replacing your lamps from incandescent to CFL. You can do it by stages. Change the ones you use most often first. That way you will not have to spend a lot of money on bulbs at the same time. Check your local home store for CFL options.

Tip #2 - Controlling Lighting

A lot of times, electricity is wasted by having lighting on where it is not being used. Various methods can be used to regulate the use of lighting. One very common method is by using dimmers to reduce the lighting output. Some other methods to use timers and occupancy sensors. Outdoor lighting can be motion activated. Also lighting that is sensitive to the outdoor lighting conditions can be used. These will turn on when daylight is low, for example at dusk. Most of these are simple to install and can be bought at local home stores.

Tip #3 - Free Lighting

Whenever possible, daylight should be utilized. This is a free resource and using it can save us a lot of money. Blinds, curtains etc can be used to avoid glare. North lighting has good quality of light that is glare free. Various types of glazing materials can also provide desired benefits and lighting levels.

Tip #4 - Maintenance

Usually we forget that even the lights in our house need maintenance. Cleaning the bulbs and fixtures regularly can greatly increase lighting efficiency. Please be careful while cleaning bulbs. Never clean them while they are hot. Replacing old fixtures and lamps with new more efficient ones is also a good idea.

Reduce Your Need for Air Conditioning

2010-05-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

The less demand you put on a system, the less energy you’ll utilize and the longer your unit will last. There are several ways to do this:

Avoid overcooling. Unfortunately, many buildings are far chillier than necessary. For most people, 78°F. degrees is perfectly comfortable. Yet many homes and businesses crank the temperature down as far as 65°. You can save a lot of money–and fight global warming–by the simple act of setting your temperature higher. Going upward a single degree, in fact, can reduce your air conditioning bill by 3% to 5%. If you are not going to be home, raise the temperature to 85° or 90°. You can use a timer to automatically bring the temperature down to 78° just before you come back.
Insulate and tighten up your house. No matter how efficient an air conditioning system is, it can’t perform well in a house with insufficient insulation and poor sealing. Checking for leaky ducts is particularly important. A huge amount of energy–well over $100 a year–can be wasted if they leak. Speaking of leakage, keep doors and windows closed when your air conditioner is on.
Cool with fans. By circulating air, fans make us feel cooler, yet they use only a fraction of the energy required by air conditioners. Unless it is very humid where you live, a large fan that vents to the outside in the top-floor ceiling may radically reduce your need for air conditioning. Even a good attic fan can cut air conditioning costs up to 30%. Using your bathroom fan can cut your home’s humidity–another way to make you feel cooler.
Don’t cool unoccupied rooms. If you have room air conditioners, shut them off and shut the doors. With central air conditioning, shut off registers in some of the rooms you are not using. But, be careful. If the thermostat is in the room you have closed off, the system will continue running long after the rest of the home is cool.
Keep your AC clean. If you have a room air conditioner, remove and rinse off its filter (usually behind the inlet grill) every month. If you have a central air conditioner, have the condenser unit professionally cleaned at least every other year. Clean all registers and air inlets and outlets. This is important not only for efficiency, but to prevent buildup of dust and mold than can harm your respiratory system. Every three years, have a technician add a tune-up and inspection to the cleaning. Among other tasks, the technician will check your refrigerant level. If it’s low, you’re wasting as much as 20% of your air conditioner’s energy. Proper airflow is also critical.
Buy energy-efficient appliances. All electrical devices give off heat, so consider replacing old refrigerators and incandescent light bulbs. Unplug electronic equipment when it’s not in use.
When you paint or re-roof, consider “cool” exterior finishes. Light-colored or other “cool” roofing and siding products can reduce peak cooling demand by 10% to 15%.
Be aware of windows. Close drapes and shutters on windows on the sunny side of the house. If it’s time to replace your windows, get the double-glazed type with a coating that reduces heat coming in from the sun.

Ten Things You Should Know About Mold

2010-04-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints.
There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture.
Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.
Reduce indoor humidity (to 30-60% ) to decrease mold growth by: venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and de-humidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning.
Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely. Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles, that are moldy, may need to be replaced.
Prevent condensation: Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.
In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting (i.e., by drinking fountains, by classroom sinks, or on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation).
Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.

Home Energy Audits

2010-03-10T16:37:00.000-06:00

A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An audit will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time. During the audit, you can pinpoint where your house is losing energy. Audits also determine the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling systems. An audit may also show you ways to conserve hot water and electricity. You can perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor carry out a more thorough audit.

A professional auditor uses a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of a structure. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation.