Home Comfort Explained

If you live in Maryland and want to learn more about the insulation R-values you need in the different areas of your home, this video podcast can help. You need to measure insulation through a slightly different lens. Rather than focusing on which insulation is better, achieving the recommended R-value for specific areas of your home's shell is more critical.

There are two essential things to familiarize yourself with regarding R-value.
First, the R-Value in "Lay" Terms. We measure insulation by its R-value. Insulation has one job - to resist heat flow.  The higher the R-value, the better the insulation resists heat transfer.


00:00 Introduction
01:29 Two Things to Remember About R-Values
02:17 Getting an Insulation ROI
04:04 Insulation's Seasonal Responsibilities
05:00 Typical Boundary (Insulation) Locations Around a  Home
07:43 Should You Remove Existing Insulation?

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Getting a home energy audit is one of those things that many do not fully comprehend the benefits of until the assessment is complete. At that time, a well-trained energy consultant will be able to walk you around your home and illuminate issues that you have likely been walking right past for many weeks, months, or in some cases YEARS! Don't wait any longer and empower yourself TODAY to make your home more efficient, sustainable, and comfortable.

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Continue your journey to better home comfort with part two of my fall bucket list of things you can do to make your home more comfortable.

I have helped hundreds of Maryland homeowners attain a better quality of life regarding their home comfort.

This podcast's mission is to break through to homeowners and help shape a new way to think about your living space, which can transform your quality of life.

I know because I went through the process myself and can honestly say it has helped us. But I absolutely would not have been able to do it without the knowledge, and that is what I want to pass on to you.

6. & 7. Get an energy audit this fall along with an assessment of your HVAC ducts 
8. & 9. Go for full crawl space encapsulation and air seal/insulate your attic all the way!
10. Block, seal and insulate overhangs around your home.

00:00 Introduction and Recap
01:28 #6 & #7 - The Grant Family Energy Audit
06:03 #8 & #9 - My Personal Journey Towards a More Comfortable Home
11:26 #10 Properly Seal and Insulate Overhangs Around Your Home

If you would like to learn more about my home performance company or get in touch, please visit https://www.hometrustremodeling.com or https://ericgans.com.

Unlock Your Home's Full Potential - Hometrust Remodeling, Your Trusted Partner in Maryland Home Performance
If you are looking to join a growing community of energy auditors, please visit our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/384354076839150
Here is a group for homeowners looking for more information about the Inflation Reduction Act Rebates https://www.facebook.com/groups/homesrebatesprograminfo

Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube

Start your journey to better home comfort with my fall bucket list of things you can do to make your home more comfortable.

I have helped hundreds of Maryland homeowners attain a better quality of life regarding their home comfort.

This podcast's mission is to break through to homeowners and help shape a new way to think about your living space, which can transform your quality of life.

I know because I went through the process myself and can honestly say it has helped us. But I absolutely would not have been able to do it without the knowledge, and that is what I want to pass on to you.


1. seal up open crawl vents 
2. seal can lights from the attic or install LED kits from inside
3. make sure the flue in fire place is closed when not in use 
4. seal/insulate the open areas of the basement rim joist 
5. add insulation and weatherstrip to you attic access points

Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube

This episode of Home Comfort Tactics shares several exciting and interesting ways you can think about your house as a system.  Chances are that your house will have at least one of the things on the list that might be neglected.  I was once an unsuspecting homeowner (and contractor simultaneously) living in uncomfortable houses and paying for new HVAC to fix the problem. There is much more to comfort and efficiency than new windows and HVAC.   Taking a whole-house approach does not mean you need to become an expert. But, if you can learn a few easy-to-understand things around your house, you can get on the right pathway to what is most important to you.  

00:00 Introduction 
00:50 House as a System Analogy: The Baby Car Seat 
03:08 Identifying Where the Bubble Needs to Be in YOUR House 
05:04 20% of Your Living Space is DEAD SPACE 
07:17 A Commonly Overlooked Home Exterior Problem 
08:55 The Thermal & Pressure Boundary of a House 
11:06 Ventilation Performance and Where is it Most Important? 
13:35 Air Leakage Test (Blower Door Test) for the House 
14:57 Ranking Your Home's Appliance Consumption

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As an energy auditor, certified through the local Maryland utility, I am responsible to help homeowners figure out solutions for their damp or cold crawl space and explain to them in easy-to-understand ways the benefits of insulating it right.

00:00 How Can this Episode Help?
02:48 Recent Crawl Space Visit
04:52 The Reason this Encapsulated Crawl Space is not Encapsulated

If you would like to learn more about my home performance company or get in touch, please visit https://www.hometrustremodeling.com or https://ericgans.com.

Unlock Your Home's Full Potential - Hometrust Remodeling, Your Trusted Partner in Maryland Home Performance
If you are looking to join a growing community of energy auditors, please visit our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/384354076839150
Here is a group for homeowners looking for more information about the Inflation Reduction Act Rebates https://www.facebook.com/groups/homesrebatesprograminfo4354076839150

Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube

We learn to get to the root of the problem in grade school, and it can apply to many aspects of our lives including issues around the house that don't get the correct diagnosis and reappear. I used this podcast episode to touch on a few key points related to a recent situation that unfolded between May and June 2023. The homeowner in Rockville Maryland had drywall tape peeling at the turn of the season (colder to warmer), which was happening year after year. He was fed up with the problem this time after remodeling the bathroom and hoping the problem had been fixed. He decided to have one firm out that chose not to do the complete energy audit and as a result, also misdiagnosed the issue...almost sending the customer down another wrong path. Luckily, he called me, and I insisted on the energy audit. The systematic approach of a comprehensive energy audit is what this home needed. Although the problem was complex, it makes a lot of sense as to why it would not go away.

00:00 Introduction Case of the Peeling Drywall Tape
00:23 Ready to Try Something New: Enter The Energy Audit
01:08 Confirming the Root Cause First-Hand
01:48 Full Description of the Reason for the Issue
02:28 The Improvements - Repair-Air Seal-Correctly Insulate
02:52 Got a Problem You Need Help With? [email protected]

If you would like to learn more about my home performance company or get in touch, please visit https://www.hometrustremodeling.com or https://ericgans.com.

Unlock Your Home's Full Potential - Hometrust Remodeling, Your Trusted Partner in Maryland Home Performance
If you are looking to join a growing community of energy auditors, please visit our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/384354076839150

Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube

I will tell you right now - this study proves that you should not replace your windows if you want to make your home more comfortable! This study shows that replacement windows only reduce drafts by 6% compared with other, less expensive retrofit plans, including sealing the attic and other important places like the top of the foundation wall in a basement or crawl space.

I am a former window contractor, and it was exciting to have an excellent opportunity to test this Silver Spring home in three stages of improvements to the envelope or shell of the house.

I tested before any work was done. Then, I tested after air sealing and adding insulation and then I tested again after all of the old window configurations were replaced with new, high-performance vinyl windows.

THE RESULTS WERE ASTOUNDING!

Test in: 4187 CFM
Test after air sealing attic and basement: 2042 CFM (51% Reduction)
Test after installing all new windows: 1805 CFM (6% Reduction)

00:00 A Little Background on this Window and Insulation Expert
02:29 Windows are Not the Source of Your Comfort Problems
04:07 First Air Leakage Test on House Windows January 2022
06:11 How Much do Windows Account for Air Leakage in a Typical Home?
06:38 January 2023 - Air Sealing, Insulation & New Windows in Silver Spring Maryland
08:28 Birds-Eye-View of Air Sealing an Attic
09:46 Second Air Leakage Test on House with Air Sealing & Insulation Completed May 2023
11:09 Third Air Leakage Test on House with Windows Replaced June 2023

If you would like to learn more about my home performance company or get in touch, please visit https://www.hometrustremodeling.com or https://ericgans.com.

Unlock Your Home's Full Potential - Hometrust Remodeling, Your Trusted Partner in Maryland Home Performance
If you are looking to join a growing community of energy auditors, please visit our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/384354076839150

Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube

Air leakage in your home is the number one reason for comfort problems and high energy bills.

Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube

Performing a home energy audit without proper testing equipment or training is not possible, however every homeowner can look for these five signs to decide if getting a comprehensive home energy audit is worth the investment.

In order to decide if you need a comprehensive home energy audit, it is helpful to have a general idea of it's overall function.

According to the EPA Local Residential Energy Efficiency website, existing residential homes typically offer several opportunities for energy efficiency improvement.  

Since each home is unique due to additions, personal touches and different levels of upkeep,  opportunities may differ from home to home, even within the same neighborhood.

Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube