Thermal Camera: How does air leakage occur?
Air Leakage and your contractor. When the contractor builds your home, they will install equipment to make sure your home can breathe to remove foul odors or gas fumes that are called combustion byproducts. If you look around your home, you will see exhaust fans in your bathroom and one above the stove.
Air Leakage is not desirable but can occur when the original contractor installed the exhaust fan improperly. Most contractors are exceptionally good at their job but you always have that one who does not pay attention to the details of sealing the exhaust fan properly. The result is you have an air leak that brings in excess humidity. Long term effects of this are Dew Pointing and possible mold growth in this area.
Clogged Weep Hole
As your homes starts to settle during the aging process, a lot of the seals can fail such as your window caulking. This will contribute to more air leaks into your home and possible mold or Dew Pointing at these locations. Even re-modelers or repair professionals can unintentionally cause air leakage problems in your home.
One of the biggest problems are contractors that do remodeling. A recent example, Bathroom Remodeling project left a large hole above the drop down ceiling and allowed hot and humid air to cause hidden Mold to grow above the drop down ceiling.
Blower Door tests are inaccurate because the technicians only measure the problem but do not find the problems in houses. A statement such as “All your Duct Work Is Leaking” is total lack of respect for the homeowner. Total waste of money unless you can find a technician that will do an accurate test which includes location identification along with pictures to document the problem. My opinion is the technicians should be held to a higher standard than what they deliver to the consumer.
We are firm believes in using a Thermal Camera to find these problems but apparently the AC Industry and Building Contractors are still living in the 1990’s where visual confirmation is used instead of a Thermal Camera. It is time for these people to move to the 21st Century and use Thermal Cameras.
Safe Homes has been using Thermal Camera’s for over 20 years and have relied on them for good information about your home. Do not waste your hard earned money when an inspector shows at your home and does not use a Thermal Camera to help diagnose your problem. You want the best inspection that money can buy. Always hire an inspector that uses a Thermal Camera to find hidden air leaks.
