Every industry does it. We use words that mean so much to us that we don’t realize that they’re meaningless to the rest of the world. This series - Energy Efficiency Buzzwords De-Buzzed – attempts to change that. Have a “green” word or phrase you want de-buzzed? Let Evergreen Home Performance know and we’ll add it to the series!

Today’s buzzword: Air Sealing

Efficiency Maine’s air sealing incentive has made this phrase familiar, but what does it mean?

Simply put, air sealing is the way we seal all the little pathways that let air move between the heated spaces inside your home and the unheated spaces outside. Some of those air leaks are obvious – a cracked window, a gap around the front door – but many are hidden inside walls, alongside wiring and plumbing runs, behind recessed lights, and around the chimney. And no matter what you’ve heard about houses needing to breathe, these uncontrolled air leaks are not a good thing.

So how do you know if (and where) you need air sealing?

Infrared analysis lets us see air leaks and identify under-insulated areas. From there, we engineer comprehensive improvements like air sealing, insulation, and basement encapsulation to meet your goals. Once we’ve installed those improvements, we repeat the initial assessment to confirm the results.

Want to learn more? Schedule a FREE one-hour energy consult and learn how home performance can help you gain comfort and cut costs.