Consulting
We are available to consult on a wide range of building science related topics. Whether you have a question about one of the subjects below, or something unique that you’re having trouble finding answers to, we love to help people solve their building science problems.
Feasibility Study
Thinking about designing or building a house, building an addition to your house, or renovating your home? Don’t know where to start? Wondering how much it will cost? What is the best way to prioritize how we spend our money? Answering these questions is what we do every day and we would be happy to help walk you through these tough decisions.
HVAC Specification
Need help specifying HVAC equipment that will provide temperature control and keep your project dry and comfortable year round? We can help using a HERS rating, a manual J, or a spreadsheet-based heat loss calculation, depending on your project’s needs. HVAC installers and distributors typically oversize systems to reduce their liability and increase their revenue, but in doing so they often negate the savings achieved by using high performance building techniques. Proper sizing keeps you in the sweet spot of minimal energy usage and maximum comfort year round.
Building Performance / Diagnosis
We can perform a number of different diagnostics to test performance or help diagnose a problem. These include blower door, duct leakage, ventilation rate, and IR camera. Using these tools, we can find problems with air leakage and insulation that would otherwise be invisible.
Forensic Failure Investigation
Unfortunately, buildings fail in non-structural ways all the time. If you’re experiencing a problem with your home or commercial space and can’t figure out the cause (it’s probably water, in one form or another), we can help find the source and determine the extent of damage. Once the cause is determined, you can determine liability if needed.