Solving Problems In Your Home, Begins With Identifying Them.

Homes That PerformPat

CLICK HERE to take our Online Comfort Evaluation for your home. We'll email you information to help you solve many common problems.

Subscribe To 'Homes That Perform' via Email

Your email:

Follow 'Homes That Perform' On Facebook or Twitter

describe the image

Latest Posts

Posts by Category

Browse by Tag

    'Homes That Perform' Blog

    Current Articles | RSS Feed RSS Feed

    Energy Efficiency Solutions: Fix The Biggest Holes!

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Wed, Feb 22, 2012
     
    Air Leakage The Attic Level

    Energy Efficiency Solutions Starts At The Top -- the Attic.

    Blowing more insulation or rolling out more fiberglass batts won't fix your air-leakage problems. Air can pass through them.
    The goal is to dramatically slow the loss of heated air during the heating season, and reduce drafts throughout your house. Heated air tends to rise and leak out in an unfinished attic, which draws in outdoor(cold) air is drawn into the lower levels of the house. In technical terms it's called the “stack effect”; which is a principal cause of air leakage.

    The Attic Floor: The best time to seal an attic is prior to installation of the insulation, but for purposes of retrofit air sealing, the following locations should be addressed. Large openings (flue, duct, and plumbing chases). These should be sealed with rigid material (sheetrock, plywood, foam board, etc.) caulked or foamed at the edges. Note: Always maintain required clearances between flues/chimneys and combustible materials. For sealing around flues, use sheet metal or foil-faced fiberglass ductboard and high-temperature caulk.

    Plumbing chase: Vent stacks are those pipes that go through the attic floor right up to the roof. Seal around vent stacks at the level of the attic floor with expanding foam or caulk. Caulk hose bibs where they pass through the band joist or exterior wall.
    Plumbing vents passing through top plates into the attic should be sealed with caulk or one-part foam. Larger chases and plumbing walls lacking top plates should be sealed with foam board and one-part foam.

    Attic hatch: Doors to walk-up attics and kneewall cavities can be weatherstripped. Small lift-up ceiling hatches (“scuttle holes”) are often relatively airtight, provided that the scuttle board makes good contact with the trim boards holding it in place. A thick layer of foam board insulates and gives weight to the scuttle, and prevents rattling in windy conditions. Hook and eye securing mechanisms can have a significant impact to minimize air leakage. Pull-down attic stairs are usually quite leaky. The plywood “door” itself is often warped, and the springs do not provide tight closure. The best approach is to build or purchase a lightweight removable insulated cover (typically made of foam board) that fits over the stairs in the attic. To work well, this should make good contact with the attic floor; the gap between the ceiling sheetrock and the plywood floor should be blocked with wood or other material.

    Do you have a whole house fan? They are typically located in the main hallway in the upper level. The louvered covers of whole-house fans are usually very leaky. These are typically sealed from the attic by building a plywood or foam board box around the fan assembly. The box must be tightly sealed at the attic floor; Remember: the fan cover must be removed each summer and put back in place each winter.

    Do you have recessed lights? Here's the problem they can present. When we talk about having a window open in your house all year around….most homes today are like this. Richard Rue, who has engineered over 40,000 Ultra Energy-Efficient homes, says, "recessed lights that penetrate into the attic space can be the “kiss of death,” unless you’ve insulated the attic with sprayed foam. One of these seemingly innocuous little lights represents 1 square foot of uninsulated attic space, and 20 of them is equivalent to having a door open in the attic at all times".
    The way to fix this situation may be a little more challenging. Recessed light fixtures should be replaced with sealed fixtures whenever possible. Otherwise, only IC (“insulation contact”) rated fixtures should be sealed. The best way to seal these is by building sealed boxes from fire-rated materials such as sheetrock or ductboard and covering the fixtures in the attic floor. Recessed can lighting – each one leaks 3-10 cfm into the attic. If you have 20 that leak 10cfm, that is equal to ½ ton of air. A home of 2500 sq. ft has about 3-5 tons. Which is about 12% of your HVAC System. Caulk inside the can to seal and use low heat bulbs. Most are not IC rated –

    Chimney Chase Flue and chimney chases should be sealed at the attic plane(floor)
    with rigid, non-combustible material such as sheet metal or foil-faced fiberglass ductboard. Use high-temperature caulk to seal the ductboard or metal to the flue pipe or chimney. If insulating the attic with cellulose, wrap the flue pipe in unfaced fiberglass batting, secured with wires, to prevent cellulose from coming in contact with the chimney.

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , , ,

    Energy Efficiency Solutions: Plug The Holes(Leaks)!

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Mon, Feb 20, 2012
     
    air leaks

    Plug The Holes(Leaks)!

    Whenever you are undertaking a home improvement project, DO NOT overlook or miss the opportunity to reduce air leaks(even the slightest leak).

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , , ,

    Energy Efficiency Solutions And Homeowners.

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Thu, Feb 16, 2012
     
    Energy Efficient Solutions

    Energy Efficiency And You, The Homeowner.

    Energy efficiency will be an important topic for years to come, unfortunately there are plenty of myths and misinformation. This leads to significant confusion about what improvements should be tackled first.

    Let's start by pointing out that heating and cooling a home takes up the major portion of utility bills. That shouldn't surprise anyone. As you can see 58% of your energy usage is consumed by your HVAC System and Hot Water Heater.

    In an attempt to target and reduce these pieces of the pie, homeowners often spend money on things that don't really help or deliver the results they hope for.

    Guys like Dr. Michael Busby, past president of Watt Count Engineering Systems says energy is one of those things that affects our lives every day; with utility bills rising each year and projected to keep increasing at 8% to 10% a year, so people are looking for ways to cut down on their energy usage and monthly bills.

    DTE Energy states on their website:

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , ,

    Grand Rapids Air Conditioning Service: How We Stack Up!

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Tue, Feb 14, 2012
     
    Grand Rapids Air

    We Get To 'Toot Our Horn' A Little...

    In our previous article we listed "What To Look For In A Quality HVAC Contractor. " This article is where we get to 'toot our own horn' a bit. See how we stack up.

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , ,

    Heating And Cooling Systems: What To Look For In A Contractor.

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Wed, Feb 08, 2012
     
    Heating and Cooling Systems

    Heating And Cooling Systems: What To Look For In A Quality HVAC Contractor.

    In this day and age where you are bombarded with information; you've got things like the nightly news reporting unscrupulous contractors and the rise of 'unbiased' websites like Angie's List. It can be a challenge to figure out who to call when it comes to hiring a contractor.

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , ,

    How Heating And Cooling's Priority Is Comfort!

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Mon, Feb 06, 2012
     
    MP900430906

    Is Being COMFORTABLE In Every Room Of Your Home Important?

    Many homeowners can't really define what that means; they just know when they are not comfortable!

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , ,

    A Furnace Tune Up: TOP 10 Reasons You NEED One!

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Wed, Feb 01, 2012
     
    Top10 Arrow

    Top 10 Reasons Homeowners NEED a Furnace Tune-Up and Comfort Consultation(at least one)!

    In most homes, heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are typically ignored until they malfunction. That doesn't make sense to us. Because of poor specification and installation, HVAC equipment tends to operate inefficiently and deteriorate faster than necessary(especially of you haven't had a Tune Up in the last several years).

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , ,

    Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: The Other Areas Of Your Home.

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Thu, Jan 26, 2012
     
    PlayItSafe

    Let's Point Out The Potential For Carbon Monoxide Poisoning In Other Areas Of Your House.

    Consumers should always carefully read instructions before using space heaters or other small heat-generating appliances. Safety guidelines are clearly explained and should be followed. Power generators for emergency power should only be used outside or in a well ventilated garage. Using any appliance (grills, camp stoves, gas ovens) other than the way it was originally intended within an enclosed area is potentially dangerous and possibly deadly. Particular attention should be directed toward any vehicle or appliance that is vented to the outside to release dangerous levels of the gas. It is critical to keep those vents unblocked and completely open.

    Read More

    1 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , ,

    Carbon Monoxide In The House: Your Furnace.

    Posted by Jack Tuuk on Mon, Jan 23, 2012
     
    carbonmonoxide symbol

    What Every Homeowner Should Know.

    Although your furnace is not the only potential risk for carbon monoxide(CO), it will be the focus of this article. There are steps to determine the risks and potential for carbon monoxide. Questions like:

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , ,

    Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Recognizing The Threat!

    Posted by Mike Vredevoogd on Thu, Jan 19, 2012
     
    CautionBox

    Too Many Homeowners Are Taking Unnecessary Risks!

    Carbon monoxide poisoning can kill without warning, as your family sleeps. This information is to inform every homeowner what they need to know; what it is and how it occurs. (And yes, all of this to impress upon homeowners the importance of having a Furnace Tune-Up).

    Read More

    0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
    Tags: , ,
    All Posts

    Grand Rapids, Michigan's Leading Heating & Air Conditioning Contractor
    Proudly Serving: Ada, Allendale, Alto, Belmont, Byron Center, Caledonia, Cedar Springs, Comstock Park, Coopersville, Dorr, Fruitport, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Grandville,
    Hamilton, Holland, Hudsonville, Jenison, Lowell, Marne, Middleville, Nunica, Rockford, Saugatuck, Sparta, Spring Lake, Wayland, West Olive, Wyoming, Zeeland