A residential air sealing technician specializes in energy efficiency to help businesses and homeowners lower energy costs, increase comfort levels and improve indoor air quality.

The career outlook for a residential air sealing technician is excellent. They make on average $14-$23 dollars and hour.

Through the use of proper insulation practices and sealing air gaps where plumbing and electrical wiring and outlets are, they can cut down on the draftiness of a building for better and more efficient heating and cooling.

Air sealing is a prerequisite for newer high performance construction that involves enveloping a home to form an airtight barrier, or air sealing. Insulation contractors would put in the insulation, only to fail blower tests, and they would go around with foam to seal gaps that were not airtight. Blower tests are typically set at a blower door standard of 0.35 ACH for every home, which basically means that one-third of the volume of the home exchanges with outside air every hour.

Sometimes, passing an air sealing test is beyond the scope of a normal insulation contractor. They might miss plumbing penetrations, washer/dryer hookups, the intersection of the bottom plate and sub floor in a home.

A residential air sealing technician is called in that specializes in forming an air tight envelope around the house. Performance standards allow for modest air leakage, but if these are concentrated in one area of the home, comfort and effectiveness can be greatly compromised.

According to the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code, air sealing standards states that "exterior joints, seams or penetrations in the building envelope that are sources of air leakage shall be sealed with durable caulking materials." A residential air sealing technician that can achieve 0.40 or 0.25 is passable under some standards, depending on location.

Typically, for building codes that require the tougher air sealing standards, the procedure involves three trips by the insulation contractor, and the residential air sealing technician runs tests and spray paints markings of leakage areas to inspect the air sealing of new home construction.

It is critical that a residential air sealing technician have solid building science knowledge and good communication skills, since working closely with insulation contractors and general contractors is required. Energy code requirements that are enforced and explained correctly result in passing blower door testing that proves the structure is airtight.

This is a green job that is in high demand as energy efficiency in home building is part of code requirements in many areas. Many of the residential air sealing technicians may have started out as insulation contractors who went on to take LEED certifications or BEEP courses, for green building knowledge and testing. Being familiar with energy and building code requirements is helpful, as well.

This is an important part of a building structure's energy efficiency, and can make a heating or air conditioning system work at top efficiency, while allowing good indoor air quality.

Residential Air Sealing Technician Resources

*The Homeowner's Handbook to Energy Efficiency: A Guide to Big and Small Improvements
*Insulating, Sealing & Ventilating Your House
*Insulate and Weatherize: Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Build Like A Pro)
*Residential Windows: A Guide to New Technologies and Energy Performance (Third Edition)

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