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Ground-Breaking Research Busts Common Myths About Air-Sealing Houses(3BL Media Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Homeowners could save big bucks on utility bills by air sealing these 5 house joints. SOURCE: Green Builder Media DESCRIPTION:SEATTLE, October 15, 2014 /3BL Media/ — In a typical residence, there is nearly one mile of exterior joints that can leak air. That’s 5,280 feet of potential problems. Owens Corning, a leading residential insulation industry innovator backed by 75 years of building science expertise, decided to conduct research that would quantify the leakage characteristics of the most important joints/openings in a residential structure and prioritize them in terms of the cost to seal it—an air leakage bang for the buck ranking of the joints/openings. The results of the research are surprising—and important: Air leakage out of building envelopes that are not well sealed can account for between 25 and 40 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling in a typical residence. Dave Wolf, R&D Program Leader for Owens Corning, along with his fellow researchers, took the study results and created an air sealing prioritization that would help builders seal homes well and homeowners retrofit their leaky houses, while factoring in financial realities. “The joints in that mile, they don’t behave the same," Wolf notes. "Some leak more than others, and that’s what led to our bang for your buck chart. Or, in other words, if I can only do 500 feet of the mile, where is that best place to put that effort.” Owens Corning, in conjunction with Green Builder Media, has synthesized this research into a free downloadable book that consumers and building professionals alike can reference to make sure they are getting the best bang for their insulation dollar. Follow this link to download the book and for more insulation best practices, building science news, and solutions to create a comfortable, energy-efficient home. About Owens CorningOwens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune 500® company for 59 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. In business for more than 75 years, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.3 billion in 2013 and about 15,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at: www.owenscorning.com. About Green Builder MediaGreen Builder® Media, LLC is the leading media company in North America focused on green building and sustainable living. With a comprehensive suite of print and digital media solutions, demonstration projects, case studies, online training and live events, Green Builder Media assists building professionals in preparing themselves for the new green economy and helps homeowners understand how to live more sustainably. For more information, visit us. Contact Info:Cati O'KeefeGreen Builder Media+1 (513) [email protected] © Copyright 2014, 3BL Media LLC |