Imagine going up Mount Everest in just a sweater with holes in it. When it rains, you have nothing to manage the bulk water. Even if the rain stops, the insufferable subfreezing cold penetrates the holes in your sweater relentlessly. Although California weather does not approach the extremes in Mount Everest, most homes are built just with a hole-filled sweater. California homes even in 2019 are:
- Not Air-tight….enough. Proper sealing is misunderstood & underrated.
- Insulation can be too compressed.
- Insulation is not installed to its full thickness or density in all six directions.
- Draft stops are not good enough to prevent air movement.
- There are gaps (holes) and voids in insulation.
- Sealing of all penetrations is not planned or coordinated.
- Density, thickness, and thermal imaging measurements are not a standard practice.
- Insulation and HVAC contractors compete on price, not value and quality.
