A “leaky" building allows conditioned air to leave the building which causes higher energy bills and allows contaminants and moisture to enter the building. Because heat rises air leaks out of the top half of the building and is drawn in from the lower half. This driving force is called “stack affect”.

When the “top” of the building or the attic floor is sealed the stack effect, which is the driving force for air leakage is stopped.

IES, Inc can determine the best strategy to reduce air leakage and improve indoor air quality. Using hi-tech expanding insulation foam we fill gaps, voids and cracks in the building envelope.

With specific gaskets we seal air leakage from doors, windows, and fireplaces. Also, sealing the air ducts makes your heating and air conditioning system more efficient and your home more comfortable.

Tight buildings need controlled ventilation, which is supplied by the patent pending Filtered Fresh Air Ventilation Systems attached to your heating and air conditioning system.

Air sealing a house or commercial building increases comfort by reducing the drafts and the amount of humidity that enters will also be reduced, which is a big factor in the health, comfort levels and durability of the building.

With fewer leaks humidity and air infiltration is reduced and also the cycle time that you’re heating and cooling systems are going to run.

Steve Mcleod the Indoor Air Quality Consultant for Indoor Environmental Systems, said. “A drafty house is more than just a waste of natural resources -- it also means higher energy bills poor air quality. Air sealing lowers energy use, and the carbon foot print, which is good for you and the planet!”

Jerry Hailey of Hailey Properties was impressed with how air-tight IES, Inc made his Raleigh NC rental properties. "I watched your guys with their crazy expanding foam seal every nook-and-cranny in the house they are now as tight as a tick on a dogs back” “ my renters are happier because there are less drafts, and odors and I pay less on utilities bills”.

Sealing gaps, cracks and voids is tricky business since leaks are "usually" hidden from view. "Air infiltration points vary depending on the type of building.

For commercial buildings below deck parking, or mechanical room, elevator or smoke shaft, and around the trim of a window need to be checked" McLeod said."Air leaks are common under a doorway where there's not a sweep installed or the threshold isn't adjusted properly."

In homes, common infiltration paths are within the walls where plumbing, electrical and air duct penetrations are. These holes connect to the attic and crawlspace and allow air to move through the house's envelope, and simply insulating isn't enough. In fact, the ability of fiberglass insulation to perform is dramatically reduced if you don't air seal first, according to McLeod. "One of the most important steps in the process," he said, "in making your house energy efficient as well as comfortable is to air seal the house first”.

Making your building more energy efficient is good all around: it’s good for the occupants’, the country and our planet and should be done before installing solar electrical panels or tiles.