New Energy Code requires Blower Door Tests

The adoption of the 2009 building code last year introduced blower door testing to all new home construction starting this January. What’s a blower door test- well, a blower door is a contraption that blocks the front door and has a big fan in it. The tester turns the fan on and sucks air out of the house, measuring how much air comes back in through leaks and things like that. Couples with new insulation and building requirements, this means that new homes are tighter and more energy efficient than ever before. We’re finding energy use levels are about 30% lower in a home we built to the new codes vs. homes we built prior to the new code- which were already awesome sippers of energy! You can factor that savings into your monthly carry costs when you are thinking about how much a new home might cost every month-