Blower Door Testing

You will never have good indoor air quality (IAQ) in a leaky house, which makes blower door testing a crucial step in improving a home’s health. Blower door testing services allow us to evaluate a home’s air leakage so that we can stop air infiltration, leading to:

Better indoor air quality
Better moisture control and less risk of mold growth
Less risk of pest infestation
Fewer indoor drafts
Less energy waste
Lower heating and cooling costs

What Is a Blower Door Test?

A blower door is a diagnostic tool that’s used to measure how much air leakage there is in a home. In other words, it tests a home’s airtightness.

The blower door uses a powerful fan to lower the air pressure inside a home. Higher-pressure outside air is then sucked in through gaps, cracks, or openings in the building envelope, often referred to as air leaks. Air leakage can occur around any opening in a building’s envelope and is especially common around doors and windows, wire and plumbing penetrations, recessed lighting, basement rim joists, chimney chases—the list goes on.

Air Leakage Hurts Indoor Air Quality & Energy Efficiency

When there’s too much air leakage in a home, contaminated outside air can easily enter, bringing moisture (which causes mold growth), pollen, smoke, car exhaust, and other outdoor air pollutants in with it. These contaminants are then sucked into the home’s HVAC system and circulate throughout the living spaces. Breathing them in over time can make your family sick!

Air leakage also results in significant energy loss, which can make your home uncomfortable and drive up your heating and cooling bills.

A blower door testing company like Energy Home Basics can figure out how much air is entering and escaping the home, and where the leaks are located. Then, we can take the necessary steps to establish proper airtightness, making the home healthier, more comfortable, and more energy efficient. This may include:

Attic insulation
Basement insulation
Crawl space encapsulation
Floor insulation
Wall insulation
Air sealing

We recommend different insulation materials depending on the application. Spray foam insulation is often ideal for sealing air leaks while blown-in cellulose insulation can be used to fill wall and floor cavities. Depending on the results of your blower door test, we can help you choose the right insulation for your attic, crawl space, floors, walls, and more.