Rec for "green" contractor or air sealing company (for sale, house)

[Pari625]

Hey all, has anyone had their home air sealed by a company that they'd use again/recommend?

I just want to find someone to air seal our home that'd be open to using non toxic products like low VOC caulking, etc. Don't want our baby inhaling the offgassing.

We aren't DIY sorts. No time or know-how. Please help!

Heeellllllpppppp. :-)

Thanks,
Sarah

ps. In exchange for your helpful recommendations, I shall regale you with tales of fearsome dragons and brave knights and kosher hot dogs.

[Starglow]

In order to make your home truly "green", much of the required building envelope sealing measures must be done during construction of the home and can not be added later. There are certified "green" homes for sale in the triangle but being green does add to the overall cost value of the home, some of which can be recovered over time in energy savings and/or energy rebates.

On an existing home, you can have an energy audit done including a blower door and smoke test which will show you air infiltration leakage areas within the building envelope of the home including around doors, windows, electrical outlets, fireplaces, etc as well as HVAC duct leakage.

These identified leakage areas can then be appropriately addressed or sealed with various different measures to improve the blower door results, however the home will never be at the same level of green as one constructed from the ground up as a green certified home.

So in answer to your question, there's much more work involved than just sealing with caulk if you want to do it right by knowing and identifying where the problem areas are specific to your home through testing because anything else is just a shot in the dark at best and a potential waste of money.

[beatkay]

I had Marc and the team at Sundogs Solutions do an energy audit, extra insulation in the attic, and I got a full written report on what steps to take next. The report included estimates for subsequent work.

The team that worked here was on site for about five hours, doing sealing under the house and around pipes, in the house doing windows and doors, and even putting insulation layers in all the electrical outlets. With a 100+ year old house and *no* insulation in the walls, that helped a lot.

I would absolutely call them again when I'm ready for my next steps.