Drafty Rooms
PROBLEM: Cold air leaking into your house causes rooms to feel drafty and uncomfortable. At the same time, warm air leaking out greatly increases your energy bill. Many air leaks are difficult to find. More obvious leaks are found around windows and doors, recessed lights, electrical outlets, and plumbing penetrations. When you add up all the hidden air leaks in your home, it is like leaving a window or door open!
SOLUTION: We all have heard that “a home has to breathe…” and we like to add, “yes, but not hyper-ventilate or be starved for air!” EverGreen uses state of the art technology, including blower door, infrared, and energy modeling software to locate air leakage and measure your homes natural ventilation rate. We professionally seal gaps and holes with commercial grade weather stripping, no/low VOC caulk and foam and other air sealing products while still assuring that you have sufficient fresh air changes. Air sealing the often hidden, excessive and costly leaks improves the comfort and energy efficiency of your home, and reduces your utility bills.
Uneven Room Temperatures
PROBLEM: Sometimes a home has one or more rooms that are difficult to heat. Rooms with uncomfortable temperatures are used less, sometimes even closed off completely. There are several possible causes of uneven room temperatures. Air leakage is a major cause, as well as inadequate or missing insulation or leaky or improper ducting.
SOLUTION: With an energy audit from EverGreen we take a whole house approach and look at your home as a system. A proper inspection along with blower door testing helps us pinpoint sources of air leaks. Infrared technology helps us to “see” heat loss, to locate areas of missing, insufficient or ineffective insulation. Once we locate the sources of the problem, our comprehensive assessment allows us to generate a report that gives you a prioritized list of recommended improvements that will be the most cost-effective.
Poor Insulation
PROBLEM: Many homes have missing or insufficient insulation, or the insulation is ineffective, unable to do its job because of air leaks. Insulation R-value is drastically reduced when air flows through it, making it little more than an air filter. Sealing air leaks creates the air barrier that most insulation needs in order for it to perform as intended.
SOLUTION: In addition to a thorough physical inspection of your insulation, EverGreen uses advanced infrared “fusion” technology to generate an infrared image within a digital picture that clearly shows missed insulation, moisture problems and areas of energy loss. EverGreen can add environmentally friendly cellulose and foam insulation as well as improve your existing insulation through targeted air sealing. Sealing air leaks creates the air barrier that most insulation needs to get the best performance. EverGreen professionally installs insulation (combined with proper air sealing) to provide you with warmer floors, walls and ceilings that create more comfortable and even room temperatures.
Icicles & Ice Dams
PROBLEM: Insufficient insulation combined with air leakage through the ceiling can cause snow and ice on the roof to melt. As the water runs off the roof, it refreezes and forms icicles and ice dams. Water from ice dams can sometimes backup under the shingles and leak into the ceiling or walls of your home, eventually causing structural damage or leading to mold and mildew problems.
SOLUTION: By properly understanding the causes of ice dams, EverGreen helps solve the problem by thoroughly investigating, locating and sealing critical air leakage pathways through the ceiling and by installing the proper type and level of insulation.
Mold & Mildew
PROBLEM: Mold and mildew problems can result from water leakage from outside. It can also be due to warm, moist air moving through floors, walls or ceilings which then condenses on a cold surface within the home. High water use inside the house, especially showering and clothes drying without proper ventilation can lead to high indoor humidity, a contributing factor. Any excess moisture in the home can lead to mold and mildew which can lead to rot, structural damage, and damage to paint and wood, and also a serious health risk!
SOLUTION: We can help find the source of mold and mildew by locating and sealing specific water leaks. If a large area like a basement or a whole wall is involved, then high humidity could be the cause. We determine if fans and appliances are vented properly to maintain optimum humidity levels. With detailed energy modeling we can ascertain if your heating and cooling system is right sized for your home. Systems that are oversized may not properly remove moisture or condition the air in your home.
Leaky Ductwork
PROBLEM: Duct leakage from unsealed connections and holes in typical house contributes to poor indoor air quality, distribution inefficiency and results in the loss of up to 20% of the air that moves through the duct system.
SOLUTION: EverGreen can insulate and seal your ductwork to make your home more comfortable, energy efficient and healthier. Excessive leakage in return ducts in the basement and crawl spaces can introduce indoor pollutants into the rest of the home, such as dust, radon and mold spores. We pay special attention to ductwork in attics and crawlspaces to ensure adequate insulation as well as air sealing.
Poor Indoor Air Quality
PROBLEM: Without proper ventilation, your indoor air quality is compromised by pollutants such as dust and dirt that are carried in with air. Poor indoor air quality contributes to many health problems such allergies and asthma and increased respiratory infections.
SOLUTION: EverGreen’s whole house approach leads to greatly improved indoor air quality. We can seal air and water leaks and keep pollutants out of your home. We can ensure that combustion equipment is firing properly and venting correctly. EverGreen’s post-improvement blower door test can confirm that your home has adequate air flow ventilation following energy efficiency improvements.
High Energy Bills
PROBLEM: Wasting energy is wasting money. According to the Dept of Energy, air leakage alone accounts for up to 40% of a home’s total heating and cooling costs. In Michigan, 60% of residential energy use is for heating the home. High energy bills often result from excessive air leaks, missing or inadequate insulation, leaky ductwork and older or lower performance windows and equipment.
SOLUTION: EverGreen can help you by making your home more energy efficient, substantially reducing your utility bills by 25%, or even more. With our whole house approach and using state-of-the-art technology, including blower door, infrared thermography and energy modeling software we identify problems and provide you with a customized set of solutions. You are provided a detailed and comprehensive report with a prioritized list of energy saving cost-effective improvements. We can also help you receive rebates of up to $1,500 for improvements such as air sealing, adding insulation in the basement, around the rim joist, in walls and attics, or where ever it will do the most good.
