Air Sealing in South Kansas City: Reduce 15 Percent of Monthly Bills

Air Sealing in South Kansas City: Reduce 15 Percent of Monthly Bills

What is Air Sealing?

In order to reduce air leaks throughout your home, air sealing is done by applying material like caulk or weather stripping to seal cracks, gaps, and holes throughout the building envelope. Simple air sealing can be an easy DIY project: check around your window sills and door jambs for openings and use sealant from your local hardware store to fill the space. However, an industry professional is experienced in locating and sealing areas that are commonly taken for granted  - minor openings in your attic, slits in the walls of your basement, and even gaps you may have missed around your home’s exterior.

One of the primary benefits updated air sealing provides is the improvement of your home’s indoor air quality. Unsealed openings throughout the building envelope allow the entrance of outdoor pollutants, allergens, and bacteria. In addition to better indoor air quality, sealing air leaks also reduces unwanted guests. These spaces can even be an open door for insects, small rodents, and other pests in search of a warm, hidden hiding place to build their nests. Properly covering cracks and holes throughout the home significantly reduces health risks, heat loss, and high energy costs.

The “Breathable House” Myth

One fear many homeowners have is that air sealing will "close up" their homes. This is generally pulled from the myth that a house shouldn't be sealed "too tightly" because the building needs to be able to "breathe." However, it's important to make one fact clear: people need to breathe, houses need to ventilate. Quality air sealing throughout a building doesn't stuff up the house; in fact, the airflow in your home has a system that largely isn't affected when a professional air seals the leaks and cracks in a building. Instead, your home is in need of controlled airflow, which is largely impacted by your HVAC system, air quality devices, and attic or crawl space vents.

When worried homeowners neglect proper air sealing, it can lead to what's known as a "leaky" building. The air flows randomly, working against your energy system and increasing the stress put on your HVAC unit and other appliances. Unwanted heat, moisture, and pollutants are able to infiltrate the building; this can increase health risks, decrease indoor air quality, and potentially create a humid environment that encourages mold growth, mildew, and other damages. If you're worried about a closed-off home, your household needs an improved ventilation system, not less air sealing.

The Problem with Air Leaks

Koala Insulation of South Kansas City has covered the importance of indoor air quality: reduced outdoor pollutants, allergens, and bacteria. Here are a few other serious problems that happen when you have air leaks in the building envelope:

• Moisture infiltration
• Pest infestation
• Heat loss
• Higher energy costs

Moisture and water vapor can significantly affect your home's health and safety. High moisture can increase humidity, which is the perfect environment for mold growth. If there's excessive moisture, it can begin to damage wooden structures, insulation, and other material throughout your home. This kind of environment also attracts pests like dust mites and termites. However, even putting moisture aside, air leaks provide openings for pests to enter your home. Most homeowners are aware of the detrimental effects that come with letting pests build nests within their homes. Poor air sealing is the equivalent of leaving an open door for these insects and rodents to come in and make themselves at home.

Air leaks in your home don’t just mean unwanted guests and pollutants from the outdoors, though. It also means your conditioned air and desired heat are escaping from those same cracks, holes, and gaps. This puts stress on your HVAC system, which needs to run more often in an effort to replace the escaped air. Not only does this increase your energy costs but also potentially increases your maintenance needs to fix an overworked unit.

How Insulation and Air Sealing Can Lower Costs

Air sealing works together with insulation to help improve your home's comfort, safety, and temperature regulation; in many cases, one is necessary for the other to be efficient. Your home's insulation material works to reduce heat transfer, which is the rate at which heat enters and exits a building. If you have poor air sealing, the insulation isn't as effective at improving your home's climate control; it also puts the material at risk to be damaged by moisture and pests. While air sealing can reduce air leaks, poor coverage and improperly installed insulation allow heat to still move through walls, floors, and the ceiling without a quality barrier.

Updated insulation and air sealing can help you exponentially save on monthly costs. Because the materials work to trap in desired warmth during the winter and block unwanted heat in the summer, your HVAC system doesn't need to put in as much work. You're also less likely to have one room or side of the house that's cooler or warmer than the rest because of proper temperature regulation. However, it's important to remember that not every home has the same needs and there isn't a "one size fits all" solution. Your climate zone, building regulations, and even regular household activities are all variables that impact the house's insulation and air sealing requirements. Finding an insulation team that's experienced in prioritizing these differences is crucial to achieving a quality job.

Schedule a Free Evaluation with Local Experts

At Koala Insulation of South Kansas City, we understand the need to prioritize comfort and safety while remaining cost-effective and energy-efficient. Our team of insulation professionals offers free evaluations that provide your household with a detailed breakdown of your home's insulation and air sealing. With a better understanding of the house's current condition, you and your household can make informed decisions that prioritize your budget and schedule. Contact Koala Insulation of South Kansas City to schedule your free evaluations and learn more about the benefits of updated insulation and air sealing.