Recent Q&A

• Economic viability of exterior rigid foam retrofit

  Hey folks,Over the years I've been improving our house in northern Colorado (Zone 5). We've insulated everything we can get to, air-sealed, and leakage should be down under 1.5ACH50 by…

• Summer, windows, VOC, stack effect?

  We track PM2.5 & VOC's in our house with a foobot. Over winter it was extremely effective, interlocked with the ERV it managed IAQ with aplomb.However as summer arrived the…

• ERV/HRV draw from furnace return network?

  I've got an ERV that has been operational for a while, with the fresh air plumbed in a dedicated run into the main living area, but the stale pickup is…

• Mechanical ventilation, building pressure, and air quality

  I recently picked up an indoor air quality monitor (a foobot). I quickly discovered that while particulate levels in our home were excellent, VOC's climbed quite high during the day.…

• Air sealing inside corner

  Scanning the house during an air leakage test, discovered an air movement pattern I hadn't seen before. Air appears to be leaking through an inside-corner of the building, as shown…

• Insulating behind window trim vs sealing around window trim

  I went and sealed around the edges of my window trim a while back, after thermal imaging demonstrated leaking & we had already hit all the other big leaks. I…

• Indoor Humidity – dew point & monitoring condensation

  I live in Colorado, Zone 5, where our winters frequently drop down to 0-20F and outdoor humidity levels might be in the teens. I recently figured out my chronic congestion…

• Vaulted ceiling, open attic

  I have two vaulted ceilings that I am trying to work out how to insulate. I have read all the material here on insulating cathedrals. However these are essentially a…

• Air Sealing Breaker Box

  Like many people, I have a breaker box in my attached garage. I wish to fully seal the garage-house interface, and have gone through sealing most of the holes and…

• Exhaust-ducted HRV vs. simplified

  Hello! I'm looking to put in an ERV, after I realized I could probably DIY for not much more than CFIS. I am stuck planning the ducts and wondered if…