Senior Building Science Advisor Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Olympia, Washington
The highlight of this session is information on a new exterior aerosol envelope sealing (AeroBarrier) method for occupied residences. For typical applications the residence is pressurized with a blower door and an aerosol fog sprayed in the interior. The sealant particles are carried to the leaks where they impact and stick to seal the up to 3/8” wide. Summary results and case studies are presented for new homes and existing, unoccupied residences. Results from DOE Building America projects showed that 1 to 2 hours of AeroBarrier sealing typically reduced new home leakage by 70% to 80%. Sealing 35 existing, unoccupied houses and multifamily units achieved an average leakage reduction greater than 50% with reductions as high as 80%. The new exterior envelope sealing method is being applied to attics, crawlspaces, and unconditioned basements of occupied residences where it isn’t necessary to cover furniture or finished surfaces. Early results of attic sealing show a 55% whole house leakage reduction and an 85% reduction in the leakage between house living space and crawlspace/basement. A panel will lead an interactive discussion of barriers and opportunities to apply aerosol for LIWX and market rate sealing of various types of residences.
Learning Objectives:
By attending this session, attendees will:
Learn how automated AeroBarrier sealing can tighten existing residences
Learn that the technology can make new and existing houses and apartments 50% to 90% tighter
Learn results from current demonstrations of a new exterior envelope sealing method that can be applied to the attics, crawlspaces, unconditioned basements and other areas of occupied residences without having to cover/protect finished surfaces
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