Guy DuBois: Building Performance Specialist

Guy DuBois: Building Performance Specialist

Company: Commonwealth Building Sciences
www.NoEnergyLoss.com
Phone: (804) 467-2375

One of the most frequently heard statements about an old house is, "I'll bet it costs a fortune to heat it."

It’s a valid observation too, what with high ceilings, drafty halls and large leaky windows, not to mention cracks and crevices so often found in houses that are decades old. Moreover, houses built before the 1960s don’t have insulation in the side walls.

Most climate zones we live in require insulation to prevent the conduction or loss of heat. Many traditional insulation products do not stop air infiltration. Only certain spray foam and properly sealed sheet products are capable of minimizing or preventing air infiltration. When air is flowing through and around insulation, maximum performance is not being attained. If uncontrolled air leakage is occurring, it isn’t possible to predict the size and type of heating and air conditioning equipment necessary to correctly condition any given interior climate. Any heating and air conditioning contractor who is offering to solve your problems and save you energy by simply offering upgraded and/or larger equipment is making a fundamental mistake. Bigger is not better when it comes to efficient equipment. Oversize air conditioning equipment is wasteful and can possibly degrade the interior environment. Much information is available online that addresses the critical issue of oversizing. Any properly planned HVAC system begins with load and distribution calculations performed by an experienced professional.

Fortunately, there’s a company that can pinpoint the above discussed problems so that they can be fixed.

Commonwealth Building Sciences is a Richmond, Virginia, based business providing building testing services that will solve your problem. With special testing equipment, deficiencies in construction that affect building performance can be detected. A blower door guided infrared scan is particularly valuable to discover sources of air infiltration. During this test, when there is a sufficient difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, air leakage paths can be “seen” via infrared imaging. As the house is being depressurized with a blower door leakage is amplified, providing subtle yet pronounced temperature variations that can be captured as images with the infrared camera. This data is very useful in determining where the most cost effective remedies can be applied to improve energy efficiency and indoor comfort.

Armed with the proper data, which Commonwealth Building Sciences can provide, you will be ready to make contact with any of the numerous energy conservation companies and services found on line. Remember: Almost 45 percent of Virginia’s energy bills are for residential heating. And if your house was built before 1939 it will typically use about 50 percent more energy per square foot than a more modern one. Commonwealth Building sciences is a good place to start to update your old house and rid yourself of high energy costs.