What blower‑door numbers should homeowners demand after major renovations?
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For most retrofits, shoot for about three air changes per hour at fifty pascals or even tighter. If you’ve gone all-out high-performance, less is fine. Just cut those leaks enough without making the air stale! Make sure you have good ventilation, okay?
When it comes to blower-door numbers after major renovations, homeowners should aim for specific targets based on the type of building and its intended energy efficiency level.
Homeowners should expect 3–5 ACH50 for typical code-compliant renovations and 1–3 ACH50 for high-performance or passive-house upgrades, always combined with proper mechanical ventilation.
Homeowners should aim for tight, energy-efficient results without compromising ventilation:
Existing homes: ≤5.0 air changes per hour at 50 Pa (ACH50) is a reasonable target after major renovations.
High-performance retrofits: ≤3.0 ACH50 for energy-efficient or near‑Passive House upgrades.
New construction benchmarks: 1.5–2.5 ACH50 is typical for code‑compliant or high-efficiency homes. Always ensure mechanical ventilation meets local code to maintain indoor air quality even in tight homes.
For most blower-door numbers,Aim for ≤3 ACH50 after major renovations; lower is better for comfort and efficiency.
After major renovations, your home should be airtight enough to save energy and feel comfortable ideally no more than about three air changes per hour, and even tighter for high-performance homes.