I had two overall thoughts on the southern Maryland jobsite where the Mystery Inspector struck in spring 2013.
1. A clean jobsite is great marketing. Every room in this house was broom-clean. Attaboy!
2. This builder paid a surprisingly high level of attention to detail in energy-efficient construction practices across many disciplines—framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC.
This photo shows good ol’ mastic sealing the seams in the ductwork. The neat application indicates that it is not the technician’s first go ’round. Attaboy, HVAC tech.
Why does this matter?
We will say it again: About 1/3 of the air transported through heating and cooling ducts leaks out as waste. This is a huge opportunity to save your customers money and toot your horn in the process.
Also in this photo are sealed holes for plumbing. Canned foam keeps the upstairs living space from communicating with the downstairs basement air. This is more good attention to detail by the subs on this job. Attaboy, plumber. (The orange coloring indicates that this is fire-retardant canned foam.)
Why does this matter?
Simple air-sealing measures like this significantly improve energy efficiency and indoor air quality in homes. It also keeps moist air from growing mold and rot in places you can’t see, such as inside the walls.
Nothing but attaboys today.
———————–
See something that we missed? Make a note of it in the comments.
Do you have photos that will work for our Mystery Inspector game? Post them to our Facebook page with the caption “Mystery Inspector Candidate” and a summary of what is right and wrong in the photos, we’ll take it from there.
