TOPIC COLLECTION
Insulation
Start with leaks and water damage. Then compare the whole assembly, including its junctions, before buying insulation.
A practical starting point
LEARN THE SYSTEM
More guides in this topic
Why does water collect on cold windows and walls?
Use temperature, humidity and dew point to distinguish condensation from other moisture problems.
Ventilate an airtight home without losing control of heat
Separate required fresh air, local exhaust, infiltration and heat recovery.
Estimate insulation savings without promising a false payback
Build a transparent before-and-after estimate, then separate modelled transmission savings from measured whole-home bills.
Turn a ventilation requirement into airflow and operating energy
Keep air-change assumptions, room distribution, measured fan performance and electricity use as separate checks.
USE THE NUMBERS
Calculators in this topic
Dew point & surface margin
Compare an indoor surface temperature with the estimated dew point.
Assembly heat loss
Compare heat flow through a wall, roof or window area.
Extra insulation thickness
Estimate an ideal continuous layer needed to reach a target U-value.
Ventilation heat loss
Estimate the heating load associated with outdoor-air ventilation and heat recovery.
Insulation heat and energy savings
Screen the annual transmission-heat, purchased-energy and cost reduction from improving one building element.
Air changes to ventilation airflow
Convert floor area, average ceiling height and a chosen air-change rate into continuous airflow.
Ventilation fan electricity
Estimate daily and period electricity use from the measured or rated supply and extract fan power.