Attached Garage: Disaster Waiting to Happen?

FROM 'HOME DIAGNOSIS' Season 2 Ep6: People generally don't think about the performance of their garage, even when it's directly connected to living space with a door or a duct (or nothing at all like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI2--RdSq-k).

But we keep all kinds of toxic stuff in garages, and they're always at the bottom of the living space, so houses, townhomes, and multifamily buildings may suck air partly, or entirely, from the garage in cold weather. Here's a quick explanation of the what/why/where of garage air leakage that could pose a threat to the health of your family. See this entire episode: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-206-windbreakers-air-sealing-and-insulation

Join our team and be a part of our exploration of the Science of Homes: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Spray Foam Inspection & Testing in Crawlspace and Side Attic

From 'Home Diagnosis' Season 2 Ep6: Spray foam insulation is often advertised as a cure-all, but there are LOTS of ways to mess it up. Here's a tour and testing of a home in Atlanta where the spray foam insulation isn't doing what it was intended to do. Watch the whole episode: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-206-windbreakers-air-sealing-and-insulation

Join our Patreon team and be part of our exploration of the Science of Homes: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Home Improvement FAILS: Things to Avoid Wasting Money On

From 'Home Diagnosis' Seaon 2 Ep 6: lots of companies are selling you lots of things that will 'make your home better'. As we all know, marketing and science are not the same thing- so here are a few tricks to watch out for: new windows, water heater insulation wrap, heat strips, and attic fans. Watch the whole episode: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-206-windbreakers-air-sealing-and-insulation

Join our Patreon team for as little as $5/month and be part of our exploration of the science of homes! https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

How to Maintain Your ERV: Pressure Check, Clean Filters, Evacuate the Bugs

Depending on where you live, where your fresh air intake is located, and how you run your ventilation system, your filters may get pretty gross in a matter of months. Here’s a few pointers on picking, and maintaining an ERV or HRV. Renewaire ERVs: https://www.renewaire.com/our-ervs/single-multi-family/

Broan ERVs: https://www.broan-nutone.com/en-us/fresh-air-systems/residential

Fantech SER150 installed here: https://shop.fantech.net/en-US/ser--150--fresh--air--appliance/p512709

Consult or coach with me via Zoom or in person: https://buildingperformanceworkshop.com/video-consulting

Join our Patreon membership and help guide our exploration of the Science of Homes: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

How to Test HVAC Room Pressurization (Zonal Pressure Testing for HVAC Commissioning)

Using a TEC DG-8 manometer and a Testo 400 hot wire anemometer, Corbett evaluates the HVAC balancing in the home his family built in Atlanta. Keep your room pressures below 3 Pascals if you can, 5 Pascals will start to give you problems- rooms don't receive enough conditioned air, and/or whistling or doors closing from 'ghosts'.

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Watch the first ever TV series about the science of homes: https://HomeDiagnosis.tv

The Future of House Wrap: a Stronger, Insulated, and More Airtight Envelope

At the Tallwood Design Institute at Oregon State University, we found a mockup built by our friend Mark Fretz, whom you'll be hearing more from. This is an experimental use of Mass Plywood Panels (MPP) and wood-fiber insulation for multifamily buildings and other homes.

One note: they don't seem to have termites up there, so this would be extra experimental around Atlanta, where we certainly do have burrowing insects of all kinds. Season 3 of 'Home Diagnosis' coming soon: https://HomeDiagnosis.tv

Join our members and become part of the making of this show: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Intro to Modular Homes: Alternative House Construction with Bill Spohn

From episode 205 of ‘Home Diagnosis’- Bill Spohn gives a quick demonstration of the process of having his forever home built in a factory and assembed onsite. Thanks to https://ecocraft-homes.com/ for the awesome video footage of Bill’s build.

Join our Patreon membership and help shape the stories on this channel and on this show: http://patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Window Factory Tour: How Windows are Made with Fiberglass, UPVC, Inert Gas Fill, and Low-E Coatings

FROM ‘HOME DIAGNOSIS’ SEASON 2 EPISODE 5: We toured the Alpen High Performance Window factory in Colorado. Big thanks to Alison Ray for showing us around, and you can see a lot more about these in the playlist of the construction of our home in Atlanta: https://homediagnosis.tv/atlanta-homestead

Join our Patreon group for as little as $5/month and become part of the making of this show: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Mythbusting Window Performance: Are Windows REALLY the Biggest Problem in My Home?

Sales and marketing teams try hard to sell more windows, regardless of science. Well, here's the science. Make smart decisions- test, analyze, and make informed choices when it comes to performing surgery on your home.

Join our team and become part of the first ever TV series about the science of homes: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Watch the full episode that this video came from: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-205-this-little-light-of-mine

How to Choose the RIGHT Windows for Your Home with Energy Modeling

FROM ‘HOME DIAGNOSIS’ SEASON 2 EP5: To avoid the extreme sales and marketing tactics we all see every day, we need science and measurement. Here's a quick tour through the evolution of homes (how homes work and why), the basics of energy modeling to compare how different home improvements will perform in the long run, and how the windows should install and function.

Every place is different, every home is different, every family is different- one size never fits all. To watch this entire episode about the science of doors and windows: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-205-this-little-light-of-mine

Join our team for as little as $5/month and become part of the frontier exploring the science of homes: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Behind the Scenes at the Blower Door Factory: Fan and Manometer Calibration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu2m0GP6v38

Peek behind the curtain at Retrotec, into the calibration process for new and old blower doors and duct testing fans. Thanks to Alex Peelle and Jay Edmonds for the technical tour.

More about these systems at: https://retrotec.com

Get trained and certified on blower doors and duct testing in 1 day with me: https://buildingperformanceworkshop.com/det-verifier

Become a member, support our work, and get behind the scenes access: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Watch the first-ever TV series about the science of homes: https://HomeDiagnosis.tv

Furnace Comparison: Atmospheric Draft, Induced Draft, and Sealed Combustion (and Barometric Dampers)

There are 3 main types of furnaces, and the difference is in the venting system to exhaust the combustion gases. Here's a quick guide to how to identify one type of furnace from another, and what they do and don't do.

Natural, or Atmospheric, or Ambient Draft furnaces allow the gases to rise out the chimney powered by their own buoyancy.

Induced Draft furnaces don’t let as much heat escape in the combustion gases (83% efficient and up), and so require a small fan to ‘induce’ the gases to get started.

Sealed Combustion furnaces pull all their combustion air from outdoors, and push all the combustion gases outside with a powerful fan. The gases here are only 100-140 degrees F.