The Blower Door Bucket

Sounds like a caveman tool, but it's actually the height of technology. I think this might be my favorite futuristic development of the 21st century so far. Take that, Apple!

Basically, when you're testing the air tightness of new construction multifamily buildings, you'll be moving fast and light (ideally), and getting your testing tools very, very dirty. It's a construction site. So why not rig up a toolkit that fits the purpose? Like a bucket, for example?

PODCAST #71 SPRAY FOAM FAIL

Today Corbett talks with Richard Beyer, a consumer who lived through a bad spray foam installation and now advocates for spray foam training and licensing.

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Corbett's Toolkit: Anemometer & Flow Hood

Performance testing guru Corbett Lunsford shows you how to find the grille K-factor for every supply register in the house, by using a CFM measuring device like a passive flow hood on just one. Learn to use a $500 large vane anemometer to the fullest by pairing it with a bigger, more expensive instrument selectively.
Tools shown are Testo 417 large vane anemometer and TSI residential flow hood.

Motivational Metrics: How Zonal Pressure Testing Works

In this home performance testing video, Corbett demonstrates advanced air leakage testing using zonal pressure diagnostics and a pressure pan. Learn how to get more out of your blower door with no extra investment in test equipment, how to interpret the data, and what to do about it during home improvement or new construction optimization. In the second video, Corbett clarifies his use of percentage-based interpretations of zonal pressure diagnostics, after several respected home performance pros had technical challenges for the method used.

More than an 'Energy Audit' for Manufactured/Mobile Homes

Oh Guru of Home Performance,
Would you shed some light on the intricacies of auditing manufactured homes?? I have an audit to do on a 17 year old mobile home- I will do a blower door test with infrared... other than the walkthrough assessment and evaluating the duct-work, checking the underneath for the insulation quality, and what else possibly could be tested?
Thank you! Sincerely,
Kevin J.

Hi Kevin-
Thanks for reaching out!  If you keep your head in the 4-3-2-1 space (see below) and listen to the client’s pain (comfort/EE/air quality), then use testing to pinpoint the opportunities for improvement, it’s the same as analyzing any other type of building.  Your approach sounds solid, and I’d use any other diagnostics to solve the client’s specific pain points.  Think about what Motivational Metrics you can use to help your client take action with solutions.
Use my book Home Performance Diagnostics to help you perform any tests that seem applicable to pinpointing the cause and proving the measured home improvement.
Best of luck, and TAKE PICTURES AND DOCUMENT YOUR PROCESS SO YOU CAN WRITE A COOL ARTICLE ABOUT IT!  Have a great weekend.
Looking Forward,
Corbett

Which Infrared Thermal Camera Should I Buy?

Hi Corbett,
Besides being fun and cool, can the Flir ONE infrared camera be helpful in assessing wall cavity insulation, attic insulation consistency or detect air leakage in a home, with or without the aid of a blower door? I'm a general contractor and I'd like to get an inexpensive IR camera- what are your thoughts on this matter?
thanks so much,
Matt

Hey there Matt-
Thanks for writing! The short answer is a big fat NO- any pocket infrared camera has very low resolution, and while they're great at demonstrating the simple fact of heat fluctuations, I wouldn’t trust it for QC and inspection of homes. The resolution on a Flir ONE is 80 x 60- that means, incredibly, there are 5,400 infrared thermometers embedded in it, but that's not enough to give you a clear, colorful picture most of the time. See here, in these three images taken of a big bunch of flowers, using the Flir ONE, a Fluke TiR110, and a Testo 885.

Flir ONE flowers: 80 x 60

Fluke TiR110 flowers: 160 x 120

Testo 885 flowers: 320 x 240

While the Flir ONE's 5,400 sensors (80 x 60) are assisted for clarity by combining with the visual camera's outlines, you can see that the Fluke TiR110's 19,200 sensors (160 x 120) mean four times as much resolution!  And the winner here is the Testo 885's 76,800 sensors (320 x 240), which give your eyes the clearest picture yet- that means this >$10,000 camcorder-style infrared camera has almost 15 times as many sensors as the Flir ONE. That being said, bang-for-the-buck-wise, I got my ONE for $250, 1/40th the price of the big mother.  That's a good deal.

I carry the Flir ONE in my pocket, where it stays connected to my iPhone 24/7 so I can shoot infrared photos of whatever is cool on a daily basis. The Fluke TiR110 I take on all my building forensics jobs.  And the Testo 885 I'm using to shoot a high-def video in infrared.  Each has its own special uses.

Here's another example of the resolution and 'color pop' difference when you're choosing an infrared camera: the wire shelves in my oven...

Flir ONE oven: 80 x 60

Fluke TiR110 oven: 160 x 120

Testo 885 oven: 320 x 240

The wire supports are almost completely invisible in the Flir ONE's 80 x 60 resolution, even WITH the added outlines from the visual camera. You get more resolution and snap in the other two cameras, again with an obvious winner in the 320 x 240 resolution. And by the way, anytime you use the infrared camera for home performance testing, you should DEFINITELY always use a blower door to reveal the air leakage- otherwise, you're at the whim of stack effect, wind, and HVAC pressurizations.

I hope this helps with your decision- being a building performance analysis ninja means having the right equipment, and there's probably a reason why the nice tools don't get carried around with you everywhere (hint: $10,000)- that's why it's nice to have a range, if you can swing it!

To find out more about how to use infrared to understand home performance, watch this:

The Underlayers of Construction: BUILDING FORENSICS MASTERMIND MAY 2015

Building forensics guru and Home Performance Diagnostics author Corbett Lunsford walks you through 3 jobs from April 2015, to help pros and homeowners alike understand that Proof Is Possible in quality control for new homes, home improvements, and commercial buildings.

Infrared Thermal Photo Art! Nerd-Out!

I now carry a tiny infrared thermal camera with me everywhere I go, and I've decided to make it my contribution to humanity. I got so tired of washing dishes and being nice- this will be much easier, as contributions go!

The sun is more than 248 degrees. Get out!

I literally am such a nerd about this that I point it at trees, the floor, anything that might be awesome. 

The floor. With a spill on it! 

Trees! 

Feet! 

Infrared is not an X-ray, you can't really see through anything, but you can see temperature changes behind objects, which is also technically a superpower. 

Infrared thermal portrait of a cathedral

People look pretty cool under infrared, as long as you don't look at their faces, which look terrifying. 

The crowd at an Indigo Girls concert

What I mainly use my infrared camera for, though, is buildings. You can't hide anything in construction anymore, thanks to tools like this. 

One brick wall: old brick on the left, new brick on the right. Very different heat signatures! 

Chicago's Thompson Center

Airport construction project

Infrared thermal cemetery

The camera I got is called the Flir ONE, and it mates with my iPhone 5 to make my pocket bulge with infrared awesomeness! For $250, I recommend it to anyone who likes having an easy superpower. 

PODCAST #67 ARCHITECT AS BUILDER: Chris Laumer-Giddens

Today Corbett talks with architect Chris Laumer-Giddens, half of LG Squared, about why he decided to tackle the whole pizza, what's wrong with the current models of architect, builder, and contractor, and what certifications like ENERGY STAR or LEED can and can not do for the industry. Sponsored by the Building Performance Workshop Online Training Portal.

Calling All Home Performance Ninjas: the FALL FAST TRACK 2015

Spend six weeks with building forensics guru Corbett Lunsford, learning to maximize your profits in the private market using performance testing for home improvements and homebuilding. Registration opens August 1, course begins Labor Day, continues long-distance until October 17.  Learn to master your business and immediately put your skills to work in your local market.

When Performance Testing Goes Weird: BUILDING FORENSICS MASTERMIND APRIL 2015

Are you sure your home performance diagnostics are giving you accurate information? Join building forensics guru Corbett Lunsford in slapping foreheads when things don’t turn out quite as we expect in a number of home improvement projects in Chicago.

PODCAST #63 ALL OVER THIS LAND: Taking the Temperature of Homebuilders Around the World

Today Corbett takes you on a tour of performance based building from a sampling of builders around the world, and realizes that the millionaires are going to be very angry when they realize what they're paying for isn't nearly as good as the affordable housing to be had on the other side of the tracks. Hosted by Corbett Lunsford at the International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas and the Michigan Habitat for Humanity HOMES Summit, January 2015.

Thanks to Robert & Deb Berger, Hiroshi Kuratsu, Rick Eversold, William Wright, Dustin Johnston, Scott Spencer, Bob Passkey Sr., Joey Cuzano, and Bruce Rumsberg for voicing their opinions about performance testing!

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