Building Envelope Solutions
Air sealing comes first
Insulation slows heat, but it doesn’t stop air. Gaps around pipes, wires, chimneys, lights and hatches let warm air escape all winter. Sealing them is the cheapest way to make a house more comfortable, and it lets the insulation work.
In Bronx houses, leaks hide in the attic floor and the basement. In apartment buildings, they run up shafts, pipe chases and stair bulkheads to the roof.
Where we seal
- Houses: attic floor, hatch, chimney chase and rim joist.
- Apartment buildings: roof bulkheads, shafts, pipe chases and the roof edge.
- Top floors: the gaps that make top-floor apartments cold in winter and hot in summer.
How we find the leaks
A blower door test depressurizes the house so leaks show up. We test before and after where a program calls for it, so you can see the difference in numbers.
Incentives
The Bronx has Con Edison gas and electric. Buildings with 5 or more units may qualify for the Con Edison multifamily program, and one- to four-family homes may qualify for NYSERDA programs. For 2027, Con Edison and National Grid plan one joint weatherization program for market-rate homes and apartment buildings. We check what is open before we price the job.
Common questions
Will sealing make my house stuffy? We seal the leaks you don’t want, such as attic bypasses and rim joists. If a house gets very tight, we tell you whether it needs ventilation.
Can you seal an occupied building? Yes. Most of the work is in the roof, cellar and common areas.