As you build a home or renovate a business, energy efficiency is one of the most important decisions you will make. While energy efficiency usually costs more upfront, it pays dividends for decades to come. One of the often-overlooked aspects of energy efficiency is the process of air sealing a building. At OurElectrician, our experience in the HVAC industry has taught us everything we need to know about the energy efficiency of heating and cooling your home. That’s why we offer the important service of air sealing to help you save money when it comes to heating and cooling your home.
Once your property is airtight, ensure your home is cool throughout the warmer months with an updated air conditioner – ask about our AC installation options today!
Why Is Air Sealing Important?
As energy efficiency becomes more and more important to homeowners, most companies have focused on installing the proper insulation to beef up the R-value of a home. An R-value is a unit of measurement that gives an indication of how a material resists temperature change. While R-values are very important to keeping energy bills low and spaces comfortable, it is not the only factor in the heating and cooling properties of a building.
Air leaks represent a huge amount of energy lost when it comes to keeping a building hot or cold. Think about it this way: it doesn’t matter how high of quality your insulation is if cold or hot air is continuously blowing straight in and out of walls, outlets, and light fixtures. Estimates of utility bills that can be attributed to air leaks can range from 10% all the way about 50%. With energy losses this high, you can easily see how much money sealing up air leaks can save.
How Is Air Sealing Done?
The principle behind air sealing is to prevent air from exchanging between the inside and outside of a building. Ideally, very little air would be allowed to migrate in and out of a home. This can be difficult in older homes that are drafty because older building materials don’t seal as well or they may have shifted or degraded to the point that they are no longer effective. Luckily, air sealing can be accomplished in several effective ways. Caulking is one of the easiest methods used to seal up air gaps. Tiny cracks are common around the inside and outside of windows. Caulking is a flexible material that fills the gap and prevents air exchange.
Weatherstripping is another easy way to seal a home. Gaps around doors are very common, especially over the years as foundations shift and doors sag. Weatherstripping is an easy way to ensure that no air is being exchanged.
Finally, attics are one of the main areas of energy loss. Every light fixture and duct penetration is a potential air leak. In the summer, hot air in the attic can create a vacuum that sucks the air out of the house and into the attic, drastically raising cooling bills. By sealing up attics in Oklahoma City, you can save a lot of money by keeping your cool air from escaping through your ceiling.
We also offer spray foam insulation, which can help improve energy efficiency and keep your home more comfortable in all seasons.
How to Know If You Need Air Sealing Services
When you partner with OurElectrician, you are putting 30 years of experience to work for you. With guaranteed workmanship and upfront pricing, we can get to work with no risk to you. Serving residential and commercial customers, we have financing options available for big and small jobs alike. Come and see why our hundreds of satisfied customers continue working with us.
