Is your Grand Rapids, MI home too warm in the summer? Too cold in the winter? Are your heating and cooling costs too high, or on the rise? Do you suffer from ice dams on your roof? These issues are common symptoms of poor home performance. But how do you know which home improvement upgrades will actually make your home more comfortable and energy efficient?
WMGB Home Improvement’s home energy audit process is the perfect place to start. It’s a smart investment that will pay off in lower monthly energy bills for years and years to come, not to mention higher and more consistent comfort in your own home!
Is a Home Energy Audit Worth It?
Even if you think you know exactly what the problem is with your insulation or air sealing, a home energy assessment is still a smart investment.
An energy audit for your Michigan home is a complete home assessment and energy evaluation of your house that helps pinpoint the exact causes of the issues in your home. The cause-and-effects of home performance aren’t always straightforward and easy to identify, especially when so much of your house is hidden behind walls and in attics and other hard-to-access areas.
With a combined 6,000+ home energy audits under our belts, the home performance experts at WMGB have seen plenty of houses where an energy audit revealed issues that a cursory visual inspection wouldn’t have. With an audit, you can feel confident that the improvements you’re making will actually solve the problems you’re having with your home.
Using Advanced Technology to Provide Whole Home Comfort Solutions
A real home energy audit isn’t just taking a few laps around a house with a clipboard. WMGB home energy efficiency consultants are BPI-certified building science experts, and our audits are a comprehensive and thorough 2-4 hour process. For example:
Infrared thermal cameras allow us to see where heat loss or gain is concentrated in a home, letting us “look” behind walls and in other hard to reach areas without damaging your home, revealing where upgraded insulation is needed most.
Blower door testing measures the amount of air moving in and out of your home due to air leaks. The more air leaks you have, the more energy your home is wasting and the less likely you are to be comfortable.
In fact, there are eight main categories that we test and evaluate during a home energy audit:
- Air sealing
- Insulation
- Radiant barriers
- Duct work
- Heating and Cooling Systems
- Water heating
- Lighting
- Windows and Doors
All of these work together to help your home function as a whole, and each category has an influence on the others. For example, heating and cooling costs depend on many factors such as insulation levels, air leakage, duct leakage, and HVAC system efficiency. Water heating expenses depend on the efficiency of the water heater, the types of showerheads in use, pipe insulation, dishwasher and washing machine efficiency and overall hot water demand.
Healthier, Cleaner Indoor Air for Your Home
Home energy audits aren’t just about insulation and air sealing. Health hazards can be a real concern in houses, and our auditors will test and inspect for the following indoor air quality concerns during your home energy evaluation:
- Carbon monoxide
- Asbestos
- Mold
- Humidity
- Radon
Schedule an Energy Audit Near You Today
Contact us today at (616) 243-3700 to schedule a free, no-obligation estimate or to find out more about home performance upgrades like air sealing, crawlspace encapsulation, and replacing your insulation in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and the surrounding areas. You can also use our convenient online request form.
