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An Ultimate Guide to Thermal Envelope and Its Benefits
The concept of thermal envelope concept has been on the rise in coldest and wet regions of the world. Even so, most people have not come into terms with what is a thermal envelope. A thermal envelope for a home is everything that splits up the inside living space from the outside environment.
What is a Thermal Envelope Home?
According to a report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a thermal envelope is anything which makes your home comfortable, safe, and dry, irrespective of what is going on outside. Roof, walls, floors, doors, and building openings such as windows, skylights, trey ceilings, and dormers constitute the residential building envelope. A thermal envelope may also include insulation, caulking, and weather stripping.
Why is the Building Envelope Important?
Leaks and flaws in the shell of a home or building reduces comfort, safety, health, and energy effectiveness. Faults waste energy amounts when conditioned air is lost before it delivers its comfort. Besides, failing to construct a tight building envelope, deadly gases such as carbon monoxide may enter into the living space. Toxins weakening the quality of the healthy indoor air may be introduced into the home too.
How We Detect and Remedy Faults in A Home’s Thermal Envelope
A Best Insulation has tools and holds Building Performance certifications necessary to detect and remedy errors in a home’s thermal envelope. Remarkably, it takes only 2-3 hours and it is actually fun to watch!
- The process starts with a Blower-Door test. The blower door is a powerful fan built into a movable panel that fits inside a door frame. The blower-door does not damage your home in any way. The powerful fan temporarily puts the indoor space under a negative pressure.
- The next thing is to add smoke pencils and infra-red camera. Once the home is under negative pressure, smoke pencils and the infra-red camera identity air flow patterns and measure the air-tightness of the house.
- Finally, the readings are analyzed. You will know how air flows from space to space, how air-tight the ductwork is, and where air is leaking – costing you money and reducing your comfort.
It is worthwhile to note that each home receives a customized home improvement plan including recommendations ranging from simple week-end DIY repairs to a fully-customized professional repair and maintenance plan. See the thermal envelope diagram example.
Contact the Professionals
After reading the above guide, we hope that the questions of what is a thermal envelope home have been answered. It is now time to get your home envelope. Our staff at A Best Insulation are always dedicated to ensure you get the best home thermal envelope.
