All the insulation in the world won’t help your home if your doors are leaking air. The good news is that it’s easy to test for and fix air leaks, and doing so can have a big impact. Not only will sealing air leaks cut heating and cooling costs, but it will also increase the comfort level of your home, improve durability, and create a healthier environment inside the home.

At MGT Insulation, we use blower door testing to determine whether your house has air leaks, and to find where those leaks are coming from. This testing involves fitting an adjustable aluminum frame wrapped in nylon to the inside of a door frame.

A powerful fan is inserted into the door and attached to pressure gauges. When the fan is turned on, it pulls air from outside into the home through any leaks that may exist. The pressure gauges then measure the amount of air flow that is needed to maintain the air pressure in the home.

Then, as the fan is blowing, our experienced insulation technicians can feel where the air is leaking in, using various tools or a simple touch and feel. Once the leaks are sealed, the test is run again, at which time additional leaks may become apparent. This is repeated until all leaks are sealed.

If you are aware of air leaks in your home, there are a few things you can do to seal them:

• Caulk and weather strip leaky windows and doors.
• Caulk and seal leaks near plumbing, ducts and wires.
• Cover single-pane windows with storm windows.
• When not in use, cover the kitchen exhaust fan.
• Look for dirty areas in insulation, which indicate air leaks and mold. Then seal them with low-expansion spray foam.
• Install sealing gaskets on door bottoms and thresholds.

To learn more about identifying and sealing air leaks, or to schedule a free assessment with one of our experienced insulation technicians, give us a call at 651-674-6225 or fill out our contact form.