PEARLAND Blog

90 Percent of Pearland Homes Lose Money from Air Leaks

Air Sealing: The Solution to Air Leaks

In order to understand the significant contribution air sealing provides to your home, it's important to first understand more about your home's "building envelope.” This is the divide between the interior and exterior of your home. The exterior system of the house consists of areas that access the outside, such as the outer walls, doors, windows, etc. The purpose of the building envelope is to help improve the climate control capabilities of the house. However, if its exterior system isn’t supported with quality insulation and air sealing, you’ll more than likely begin to experience problems.

Openings throughout the building envelope like gaps, holes, and cracks are referred to as air leaks. They’re typically the results of general wear, pest infestation, and even weathering. If left alone, they can lead to irregular temperatures, reduced indoor air quality, and other discomforts. Window sills and door jambs are some of the most common areas you’ll find these air leaks, but there are many other openings that are taken for granted. If you don’t have the building envelope and supporting materials regularly evaluated and inspected for damages and air leaks, the effects are similar to leaving a window open for the outdoor environment to penetrate your home.

This is where the solution of air sealing comes into play, protecting and supporting the building envelope of your home. When you use a sealant like caulk or weather stripping, the air sealing reduces air leaks by filling in problematic holes and gaps that can be found all around the facade of your home. According to The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), about 90% of homes in the United States have poor insulation and air sealing, which results in increased heating and cooling costs, reducing their energy efficiency. This is what makes it crucial to have an experienced insulation team evaluating your structure’s current condition if you start to experience drafts, cold spots, or irregular temperatures throughout the house.

How Can Air Sealing Increase Savings?

When it comes to maintaining a quality level of safety and comfort for the environment of you and your household, there are occasionally some criteria that will fall into the “optional” category. In an effort to reduce spending, these may be things like using energy-efficient materials, scheduling regular inspections, or consulting local experts over trying a DIY project.

While cutting back on these options may initially seem like you’re improving the outlook on cost, you could instead potentially damage your savings even further. Installing and maintaining effective air sealing provides a quality return on investment, which allows you to return the focus on these "optional" areas. Your team of local professionals at Koala Insulation of Pearland provides free evaluations in order to help you put priority on your schedule and budget without sacrificing other important criteria.

When you ignore the air leaks around the house, this can allow for outdoor pollutants, pollen, dust, and other allergens to enter the home through these small openings. This reduces your indoor air quality and can even increase the potential for health hazards. Additionally, these gaps and cracks allow the air in the house to flow without restriction, increasing the risk of irregular temperatures and unwanted heat transfer.

As two sides of the same coin, insulation and air sealing work together in order to reduce the effects of heat transfer, the rate at which heat enters and exits the structure. When these aren’t properly maintained, your HVAC unit and ventilation system need to work harder in order to maintain climate control without the house, making up for lost warmth in the winter and unwanted heat in the summer. By effectively sealing the building envelope, you provide a break to your heating and cooling system, reducing your energy costs and increasing comfort in turn.

Breaking Down How Much You Could Save

To have a better idea of how insulation and air sealing can benefit your home, you and your household can calculate a breakdown of potential savings. Although it's recommended to compare your research with a free estimate from a professional walkthrough, it's possible to develop a rough estimate of your possible return on investment. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates updated insulation and air sealing saves an average of about 15% on heating and cooling bills, with about 11% on your total energy costs.

It’s important to remember that there are many different factors that can have an effect on the breakdown of your savings from new material. The EPA has a guide to the methodology used to determine their savings estimates, as well as information on climate zones and the differences between regions in the United States. The improvement seen from proper air sealing, upgraded insulation, and building envelope treatment can have an even greater effect on return on investment in older homes built before 1988.

One of the first steps you need to take is to find what climate zone your home is located within. For example, the Pearland area is within Zone 2, although much of northern Texas is considered Zone 3. While the EPA estimates your savings will average at about 9%, it's important to remember this is because of the differences in "geographic climate factors, regional construction style, and fuel type characteristics." However, the EPA mentions that each home's savings will differ based on the current condition of insulation and air sealing. Everything from your region's weather patterns to the frequent habits of your household can affect the amount of savings you'll see from updated material in your home.

Saving More Money With Local Experts

You don’t need to become an insulation expert just to improve the comfort and safety of your home. With the help of your local industry professionals at Koala Insulation of Pearland, you and your household can increase savings without sacrificing your schedule or project budget. Our team provides free evaluations to determine the current condition of your home’s insulation and air sealing. With this detailed breakdown, you’ll be able to make informed decisions on cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions that cater to the special needs of your home. Contact Koala Insulation of Pearland today to schedule your free evaluation and learn more about how insulation and air sealing can impact your environment.