Common Household Problems & GreenHomes Solutions
Ice Damming
Problem: Warm air inside your home leaks into the attic and heats the underside of the roof, causing snow and ice to melt and refreeze as it runs off your roof. This forms icicles and ice dams that eventually force the water to back up under the shingles and sometimes into the ceiling or wall inside your home. In addition to roof and water damage, ice dams can cause structural decay and mold and mildew to form in attics and on walls.
Solution: GreenHomes can prevent damage from ice by sealing all infiltration points (recessed lights, leaky ducts, access doors, plumbing and electrical penetrations, etc.) to and from the attic and properly insulating your attic. Sealing these leaks keeps warm air in your house were it belongs. Together, with adequate levels of insulation, this greatly reduces the chance of ice damming and large icicles.
Drafty Rooms
Problem: Cold air leaking into your house around windows, doors, electrical outlets, light fixtures, and gaps in corners, can cause rooms to feel drafty and uncomfortable. As cold air is coming in through leaks, warm air is escaping. The biggest air leaks are often found in the attic, and recessed lights are a common cause. If you add up all the hidden air leaks in your home, they can equal the size of an open window or even an open door!
Solution: Air sealing can help stop drafts, improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home, and reduce your utility bills. Some leaks are easy to find and fix – around windows and doors. But holes hidden in attics, basements, and crawlspaces are usually bigger problems. GreenHomes can examine your entire home for air leaks, properly seal ducts and holes, and make sure your combustion appliances are venting properly.
Mold, mildew, and musty areas
Problem: A water leak or high humidity can lead to mold, mildew, or musty odors. Water can seep into your house from the outside through a leak in your roof, foundation, or small gaps around windows or doors. High indoor humidity caused by normal activities of everyday living such as showering, cooking, and drying clothes, can also be a source. Depending on the severity, conditions can lead to rot, structural damage, premature paint failure, and a variety of health problems.
Solution: Where the problem occurs can lead to what is causing the problem. If the problem is localized (a spot on the ceiling, wall or corner) it is possibly caused by a water leak. If the problem is in a large area like a whole wall, room or basement then it might be caused by high humidity. GreenHomes can find the source of your mold and mildew problems immediately. We can help stop water leaks to minimize potential mold growth, ensure rooms and appliances are vented properly to maintain humidity levels, clean ducts and drip pans, GreenHomes can also check your heating and cooling system to make sure it is sized and operating properly. If your system is too big or the airflow incorrect, your air conditioner will not remove humidity like it should.
Window Condensation
Problem: Inefficient windows (e.g., single pane with aluminum frames) or high moisture with inadequate ventilation can result in condensation, frost, or pools of water on windows and sills. Moisture in the air condenses when it touches a cold surface. Continued excess moisture can lead to mold, mildew, and deterioration of your windows and sills.
Solution: It is difficult to completely eliminate moisture on existing windows, but GreenHomes can help by reducing humidity and ensuring proper airflow and venting. Replacing old windows with windows that exceed ENERGY STAR specifications can help eliminate most condensation problems, as well as make your home more comfortable and energy efficient.
Leaky Ductwork
Problem: Ductwork leakage is one of the biggest energy wasters. In houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems, ducts are used to distribute conditioned air throughout the house. In a typical house, however, about 20 percent of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. The result is higher utility bills and difficulty keeping the house comfortable, no matter how the thermostat is set.
Solution: A duct system that is well-designed and properly sealed can make your home more comfortable, energy efficient, and safer. GreenHomes can help you achieve this by ensuring your ductwork is properly sealed, insulated, and sized and your home’s heating and cooling systems work as efficiently as possible an air flow is optimized. GreenHomes will also insulate ductwork in attics and crawlspaces to provide maximum comfort.
Poor and Missing Insulation
Problem: Insulation slows the movement of heat so it keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. When correctly installed, insulation can deliver comfort and lower energy bills during the hottest and coldest times of the year. Most homes, however, have insufficient or missing insulation.
Solution: GreenHomes will properly install insulation in walls, floors, and attics to give you more even temperatures throughout the house and a quieter, more comfortable living environment. Insulation works best when air is not moving through or around it. So it is very important to seal air leaks before installing insulation to ensure that you get the best performance from the insulation. To get the biggest savings, the easiest place to add insulation is usually in the attic.
Dust and Pollutants
Problem: Air can carry dust, dirt, and other pollutants as it travels through your home. Without good ventilation, they can become trapped indoors and create health problems for everyone in your family – including asthma, allergies, and cold symptoms.
Solution: As with everything GreenHomes does in your home, we strive to maintain and improve indoor air quality. We make sure your combustion equipment is working and venting safely. Sealing air leaks and ducts keeps pollution from entering your home and lowers dust levels. Proper insulation and heating and cooling choices help prevent a variety of air quality issues. Your home comfort and energy advisor can recommend additional energy saving ventilation equipment and devices to further clean your air and offer an even higher level of protection.
Rooms that are too hot or too cold
Problem: Slight temperature differences from room to room are not uncommon, but often one or several rooms in your home are uncomfortably warm in the summer or too cold in the winter. This condition can be caused by several factors including inadequate insulation, air leakage, poor duct system design, duct leakage, or a failure in part of your heating and cooling system. Not only does this affect the comfort and health of your family, it can also cause high utility bills.
Solution: Air seal, duct seal, insulate, heating and cooling system adjustment and replacement, and window and door repair and replacement, are all things that can be done. Call GreenHomes for a comprehensive home comfort and energy assessment. Using the latest diagnostic equipment, our trained advisors will evaluate your home and quickly pinpoint the sources of the problem. We’ll analyze the data and generate a customized list of improvements to solve the problem permanently, and do the work as needed.
Old Appliances
Problem: Old and inefficient appliances can cause a variety of comfort, health and safety, financial, and environmental problems. Old appliances can leak carbon monoxide and other dangerous gasses. Inefficient appliances can decrease comfort, increase energy usage, and make your utility bills skyrocket.
Solution: GreenHomes can help you determine if you need new, high efficiency units to replace your aging and inefficient furnace, boiler, or air-conditioner. We’ll determine and install a properly-sized unit, and make sure the air flows correctly and is evenly distributed throughout the house. Often, if we do replace a unit, it is usually smaller because the rest of the house is so efficient. This is very cost-effective for you. We’ll also test your combustion equipment, such as the furnace, boiler, and hot water heater, to ensure they are operating safely and efficiently. When all these systems are balanced correctly, temperatures are more consistent, comfort is increased, and overheating is reduced resulting in energy savings.
High Energy bills
Problem: One reason for high energy bills is an increase in the price of foreign oil. However, it is common to trace high energy bills to inefficient windows, heating and cooling equipment, ductwork, and insulation or a failure of one of these components to perform as intended.
Solution: GreenHomes can give you a complete home energy makeover designed to increase the energy efficiency of your home and lower your utility bills by at least 25% — guaranteed. Your home will be analyzed using state-of-the-art tools, including a blower door and infrared camera. We conduct a comprehensive home comfort and energy assessment to identify sources of excessive energy usage including air leaks in the attic, ceiling, exterior walls, windows, and doors; missing or insufficient insulation; leaking ductwork; and more. Once the assessment is complete, we provide a customized solution to ensure maximum energy savings. Common solutions include air sealing, duct sealing, weather-stripping, insulation, replacement windows, and furnace or air conditioner replacement.
