Blower Test Measures Garage Door Air Leakage

© 2008 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Spring 2008
Author: Tom Wadsworth
Page 74

CLIPPINGS
Garage Doors and Openers in the Media

Blower Test Measures Garage Door Air Leakage

Source: Brian Shea, “Energy Audit Can Help Save Money and Environment,” Wilton (Ct.) Bulletin, Dec. 6, 2007.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could tell customers exactly how much energy is lost through their garage doors?

This story in a Connecticut newspaper tells of a “blower door test” conducted through Connecticut Light and Power. The test, part of a home energy audit, gauges the amount of air leakage out of a house … and specifically, through the garage door.

After the home’s ductwork is sealed, a special fan is activated to suck air out of the house. A meter then measures the amount of air leakage. During the process, technicians manually feel around for leaks, particularly around doors and windows. If a house is sealed too well, moisture problems can create mold.

In the test described in this story, the garage door was identified as a point where heat was escaping. The problem was fixed by replacing the weather stripping.

About 4,000 homes in Connecticut had the home energy audit in 2007. The cost of the service was $200.

Editor’s Note: I wonder what these blower test machines cost. Would the manufacturer make smaller units designed for garages only? Would you buy one for $500? You could then offer a “garage energy audit” to your customers.

Upgrade Your Home, Get a Free Garage Door

Source: Melissa Rackliff, “Think Spring! Go Green!” YourHub.com (produced by The Denver Newspaper Agency), Feb. 14, 2008.

A door company in the Denver, Colo., area has developed a unique promotion for spring home improvement. Encouraging homeowners to “Go Green” and “save precious energy,” the company offers to replace customers’ windows and doors.

But here’s the grabber: “If you do so, we will give you a new garage door!”

A minimum purchase is required, and select garage door styles are available.

Editor’s Note: I admire novel marketing tactics, but I hate to see garage doors used as a free trinket to stimulate a purchase. In our unending battle for respect among exterior building products, this seems to be a step backward. I’d prefer to see us elevating the value and prestige of the garage door.