GREENVILLE Blog

Why Are Greenville Homes Losing Money From Poor Air Sealing?

Why is Air Sealing Necessary? 

When it comes to understanding the significant role air sealing has in improving your environment, it’s important to first become familiar with your home’s “building envelope.” The building envelope of a structure is the divide between the interior and the exterior. The exterior system of your house consists of places that have access to the outside, such as the windows, doors, outer walls, and more. The important purpose of your home’s building envelope is to help improve the temperature regulation and climate control capabilities throughout the space. However, when your exterior system isn’t supported with quality materials like insulation and air sealing, it’s more likely to increase the risk of problems for you and your household.

Some of the more problematic risks you could face from air leaks in the building envelope are issues like irregular temperatures, poor indoor air quality, and other discomforts. Air leaks are gaps, holes, cracks, and other openings throughout the building envelope that may occur from general wear, pest infestations, and weathering damages. Window sills and door jambs are some of the most common areas you’re likely to find these air leaks. However, it’s important to remember that there are many other openings that may get taken for granted because they’re “too small” or simply out of sight. When your building envelope isn’t supported by materials that are regularly evaluated for damages like air leaks, it’s essentially equivalent to leaving a door open for outdoor pollutants to enter the house.

This is where the importance of air sealing is evident by supporting and protecting the building envelope. When a sealant like caulk or weather stripping is used, the air sealing can reduce air leaks by filling these problematic gaps around the facade of the house. 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. Having an experienced insulation team evaluate your structure's current condition when you begin to feel drafts, cold spots, and irregular temperatures helps to reduce these issues for your household.

How Can Air Leaks Increase Costs?

In order to help maintain a safe and comfortable environment without going drastically over budget, some criteria may fall into an "optional" category for you and your household in an effort to reduce spending. These may include factors like energy-efficient materials, regular and thorough inspections, or even hiring experts instead of taking on a DIY project. However, installing and maintaining sufficient air sealing provides a significant return on investment for your household, which can allow you to return some focus to other “optional” areas.

When air leaks are left unsealed throughout the home, they can allow for outdoor pollutants, pollen, dust, and other allergens to enter the house. As a result, you could be reducing your home's indoor air quality and even increasing the risk of health hazards. On top of this, these gaps and cracks can allow the airflow in your home to be unrestricted. This can increase the risk of irregular temperatures and unwanted heat transfer.

Insulation and air sealing are two sides of the same coin, working together in order to reduce the effects of heat transfer, which is the rate at which heat moves through a structure. The HVAC unit and ventilation system in your home needs to work harder in order to maintain climate control within a house that has poor insulation and air sealing. It runs more often than it should in an effort to make up for heat loss in the winter and unwanted heat gain in the summer. When you effectively seal your building, you provide a respite to your heating and cooling system while also reducing energy costs and increasing comfort.

How to Balance Expenses and Savings

To improve your understanding of how updated air sealing and insulation material can contribute to your savings, you can calculate your own breakdown of potential savings. It’s helpful to compare your research and findings with estimates provided by a contractor or professional, but it is possible to deduct a rough estimate for your return on investment opportunity. 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.

Now, it’s important to remember that there are a significant amount of factors that may have an effect on the breakdown of your savings from updated materials. Luckily, 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.

You first need to find in which climate zone your home falls. For example, Greenville, South Carolina is in Zone 3, which covers the entirety of South Carolina. Although the EPA estimates the potential savings may average at about 14%, this is primarily because of the various differences in “geographic climate factors, regional construction style, and fuel type characteristics.” However, it’s important to remember that the EPA mentions each home’s savings will differ based on the current condition of your 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.

Learn More About Savings Opportunities in Greenville

When it comes to improving the comfort and safety of our neighborhoods, Koala Insulation of Greenville is always looking for cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions. We offer free evaluations to our community in order to provide breakdowns on the current condition of the insulation and air sealing in local homes. From there, you and your household can make informed decisions on finding the materials that fit the unique needs of your home. To learn more about the impact that updated insulation and air sealing have on your environment, contact Koala Insulation of Greenville today for a free evaluation.