Your energy improvement solution or desire to make your home greener starts with a thorough audit of your home. We use sophisticated testing techniques recognized by all major energy associations to identify air leaks, moisture condensation problems and air quality issues, along with other factors that have an adverse affect on the efficiency, health and environmental impact of your home.

Many homeowners may make changes to their homes, such as changing their water heater or air conditioning system, before getting an audit. However, these changes aren't addressing your whole house as a system, and you could be throwing money away. We take a whole-home approach to finding the most cost-effective solutions, and determine how your entire home can run more efficiently. We conduct these tests throughout the year - within hours you'll know exactly what issues need to be corrected.

Blower Door Test
This standard test is very effective in determining the integrity of the building envelope. Most people do not realize that when a house environment isn't sufficiently balanced, it can lead to:

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  Higher energy consumption

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  Moisture condensation problems

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  Uncomfortable drafts

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  Air quality issues

The Blower Door Test can be conducted throughout the year, and requires very little of the homeowner.

Thermographic Inspections
Thermography - or infrared scanning - determines variations in surface temperature, and is therefore very effective in identifying areas needing repair without having to dismantle or uncover walls or other structural elements. Thermographic inspections detect:

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  Thermal defects and air leaks in building envelopes.

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  Electrical system defects.

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  Excessive friction in mechanical systems.

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  Inadequate wall or ceiling insulation.

For insulation problems, thermography can help determine where insulation is needed and if insulation is properly installed. When insulation becomes wet it allows heat to escape; so thermographic scans of roofs can often detect roof leaks.

While most homeowners are concerned with energy during the peak seasons (winter in the north, summer in the south), effective testing is available 12 months a year. Thermographic scans require a temperature difference of only 8 degrees between the inside and outside air temperatures to be reliable.

Air Quality Tests
Most people don't think of air quality as being a key issue. However, your home is a very dynamic system and sealing off ventilation to save energy can lead to unhealthy indoor air quality. Through our air quality tests we can assess the levels of contaminants and circulation issues that pose indoor air quality problems. Common contaminants include:

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  Carbon monoxide.

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  Volatile organic compounds (VOC's).

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  Formaldehyde.

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  Fungal spores.

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  Particulates.