Blower door test cost
RZR
| Posted in PassivHaus on
Not including the cost of the blower door test itself, I am looking for a ROM materials and labor cost per ft-2 to seal up a conventional 2 x 4 framed house, sheathed, sided, windows, doors, stud bays, lid, etc…..?
If someone that has done it can estimate labor hours to get to 5-7 ACH-@ 50 I can factor my local labor rate. Please include the trail and errors, IR and smoke back and forth, etc. Or if you sealed up some ft-2 home let me know how long it took…
Thanks!
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Search and download construction details
Replies
Terry,
Don't confuse blower door testing with air sealing.
It's possible to combine the two functions, of course, using a method called blower-door-directed air sealing. But you really shouldn't wait for the end of the project to tackle air sealing.
Air sealing needs to happen at every step of the construction process, and needs to be performed by the framers, window installers, plumbers, electricians, and sometimes the roofers and the drywall crew. If you have to begin thinking about air sealing at the end of the job, it's too late.
Ideally, the blower door test just confirms that you have already done a good job.
2000sqft home 20--40 hours would get air sealing below 3 ACH.
Materials $500 t0 thousands from low tech to PH supplies.
Example of simple; caulk plates, boot penetrations, tape Zip sheathing, no chimneys.
Perhaps I need to clarify. We all read about how monolithic walls and perhaps roof designs such as concrete produce better air sealing simple because of the bond the binder such as high strength portland cement creates to just about anything it comes in contact with especially sharp aggregate, although sealing would still be an effort at penetrations. Compared to stick builds, or layering, with many gaps to seal with sealants that are not as robust as Martin points out may need several iterations of pressurized air sealing, seek and destroy gaps that can get tricky and time consuming in determining what gaps are worth sealing. That is where an experienced crew comes in and pays for themselves. What I am trying to determine is a knock down factor to the cost of blower door test sealing for the monolithic designs. I just have no idea what the baseline is the knock down factor is? Hope that makes sense.
AJ sounds reasonable, 20 hours on average, $500 in material baseline?
Are you asking for new or existing buildings??
new, opps forgot to mention.
Just curious, I don't know what area you live or work in, but in newer construction, why are people still just trying to meet code requirements with ACH... 3 ACH should be EASILY attainable with the new building materials and air sealing products out there today! We frequently do blower door tests on dated homes in the 70's-80's construction years with little to no remodel where the shell is tight enough to have 3-4 ACH.
Ultimately, you get what you pay for with air sealing. For a 3ACH, you may get by with $500-$1000 depending on your area and pricing, but I would be leary of price shopping materials... Pay the extra premium for good quality building supplies and don't get the cheapest bid for labor. Consider working with a local building science professional or a energy auditor. Most, like us, will review bids from other contractors and give our best recommendation on cost vs performance increase! Plus, there aren't all that many contractors likely in your area, so an advisor would likely know each company and how they operate and their reported effectivness!
Deleted
You realize this thread has been quiet as a crypt for 5+ years, right?