Behind the Blower Door: How Homes by Taber Tests for Energy Efficiency

When you’re shopping for a new construction home in Oklahoma, it’s easy to focus on the things you can see: the floor plan, kitchen finishes, flooring, countertops, windows and curb appeal. Those details matter, but some of the most important parts of a home are the ones you can’t see after construction is complete.

That’s where energy efficiency testing comes in. 

At Homes by Taber ®, energy efficiency isn’t something that gets added to the conversation after the home is built. It is part of the building process. Every Taber home is HERS ® rated and certified, and a blower door test is one of the tools used to determine how well the home’s building envelope performs.

If you’re comparing new homes in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Mustang, Piedmont, Yukon, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Stillwater or Tulsa, here’s what a blower door test actually does and why it matters when you’re investing in a new home.

What Is a Blower Door Test?

The name sounds more complicated than it is.

A blower door test measures how much air is able to move through unintended openings in a home’s building envelope. In other words, it helps determine how tightly the home has been constructed.

During the test, a specialized fan is temporarily installed in an exterior doorway. The fan changes the air pressure inside the home, and testing equipment measures how much air is moving through the building envelope to maintain that pressure.

Why does that matter?

Because even a newly constructed home can have small gaps or areas where air moves through the walls, windows, doors, framing or other components. A properly performed blower door test helps identify how the home is performing as a whole.

For a homebuyer, this is important because energy efficiency is about more than the age of the home. A new home should be built and tested with performance in mind.

The Blower Door Test Is Part of the HERS Rating Process

Homes by Taber doesn’t simply claim that its homes are energy efficient. The homes are HERS rated and certified.

The HERS Index, developed through the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), provides a standardized way to compare the relative energy efficiency of homes. And when it comes to HERS, remember one simple rule: lower is better.

The average existing home has a HERS score of approximately 130, while the average Homes by Taber home has historically achieved a 40.1 average HERS score.

That difference represents more than a number on a report. A lower HERS score can mean reduced energy consumption, lower utility costs, improved home performance and a smaller carbon footprint.

Homes by Taber has also been recognized by RESNET for its energy-efficient construction, including ranking among the top builders nationally for average HERS scores. The blower door test is one important piece of the testing process that helps make that rating possible.

What Happens During the Test?

There’s a lot more to a professional blower door test than putting a fan in a doorway and turning it on.

Before testing begins, the home has to be properly prepared. Exterior doors and windows are closed and latched, interior doors are opened, and equipment that moves air throughout the home is turned off. The testing professional also records environmental information such as indoor and outdoor temperatures and elevation because those conditions can affect the test results.

Once the equipment is set up, the blower door fan creates a controlled pressure difference between the inside and outside of the home.

The testing equipment then measures the airflow required to maintain that pressure.

For a standard single-point test, the home is generally tested at a pressure difference of approximately 50 Pascals. The measurement is averaged over a period of time to help account for temporary changes caused by things like wind and pressure fluctuations.

Those results are then corrected for environmental conditions and used as part of the home's energy rating.

The process is detailed because the results matter. Consistent testing helps provide a more accurate picture of how the home performs.

Why Air Leakage Matters to Your New Home

You might be wondering: If the home is brand new, why should air leakage even be a concern?

Because controlling unwanted air movement is an important part of building an energy-efficient home.

When conditioned air escapes through unintended gaps, your heating and cooling system may have to work harder to maintain the temperature you set on your thermostat. In Oklahoma, where summer temperatures can be intense and winter weather can change quickly, that matters.

This is also why many of the energy-efficient features in a Homes by Taber home work together.

Taber homes can include features such as:

• Blown-in R-15 wall insulation
• R-44 or R-38 attic insulation
• 15 SEER high-efficiency air conditioning
• 96% high-efficiency furnace
• Mastic-sealed HVAC ducts
• Double-glazed, Low-E windows with Argon
• Housewrap on exterior walls
• Super Seal Package around framing and wiring
• Perimeter slab insulation
• Moisture barrier below the slab
• Foil decking radiant barrier
• Digital programmable smart thermostats
• Tankless water heaters
• Insulated garage doors
• Energy-efficient appliances

Some of these features are obvious when you tour a home. Many aren't.

That’s the point.

A lot of the work that contributes to an energy-efficient new construction home happens behind the walls, above the ceiling and underneath the finishes. It may never be something you notice during a home tour, but it can make a difference in how your home performs year after year.

Energy Efficiency Is About More Than the Utility Bill

Lower energy use can certainly be a financial benefit of an energy-efficient home, but it isn't the only consideration.

A well-performing home can also provide more consistent indoor temperatures and help reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool the space.

That is one reason Homes by Taber takes a whole-home approach to energy efficiency.

Insulation matters. Windows matter. HVAC efficiency matters. Air sealing matters. Ductwork matters. Testing matters.

You can’t look at one feature in isolation and determine whether a home is truly energy efficient. The pieces have to work together, and the home needs to be tested to see how those pieces perform as a system.

What This Means When You're Shopping for a New Home in Oklahoma

If you’re comparing new construction homes in Oklahoma, don't be afraid to ask questions that go beyond the finishes.

• Ask whether the home has been HERS rated.
• Ask whether energy performance has been tested.
• Ask about the home's insulation, windows, HVAC system and air sealing.
• Ask what is actually included in the price of the home.

That last question matters because Homes by Taber has built its reputation around including features that other builders may treat as upgrades. The same Proudly Overbuilt ® philosophy that shows up in the visible details of a Taber home also extends to the components that help the home perform behind the scenes.

From a new home in Oklahoma City or Deer Creek to a home in Edmond, Piedmont, Yukon, Mustang, Moore or Norman, energy efficiency should be part of the buying conversation, not an afterthought.

The same goes for new homes in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow areas or new construction homes in Stillwater. Wherever you’re searching, understanding how a home is built and tested can help you make a more informed investment.

Proudly Overbuilt ® From the Inside Out

A blower door test probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you picture your new home.

It should be part of the conversation.

At Homes by Taber, every home is HERS rated and certified, and blower door testing helps measure an important part of the home's overall energy performance. Combined with extensive insulation, efficient HVAC systems, air sealing, Low-E windows and other energy-efficient features, the goal is straightforward: build a home that performs as well as it looks.

That’s what Proudly Overbuilt means.

It means paying attention to the things you can see, and the things you can't. It means using testing and proven building practices instead of simply assuming a new home will perform well because it’s new. 

And when you’re making one of the biggest investments of your life, those details are worth knowing about. Learn more about Homes by Taber’s highly efficient new homes in Oklahoma by calling at (405) 984-1185 or filling out the online form.