The Company

Applied Building Science Inc. is a Southeastern Michigan-based building performance & weatherization upgrade company. We provide home & business owners with high-value, customized solutions that maximize comfort, energy efficiency & environmental care.

A better sealed, ventilated and insulated building envelope by Applied Building Science is more energy efficient, comfortable, durable, safe & quiet. It will save you money on utility bills for years to come. And, by using less energy to heat & cool your home, you reduce the negative impacts on the environment caused by fossil fuel use.

Applied Building Science uses sound building science principles, diagnostic technology & retrofit practices to identify & remedy the root causes of:

• High heating bills
• Drafty & cold rooms
• Uneven temperatures
• Ice dams & frozen pipes
• Damp, musty crawl spaces
• Mold growth
• Indoor air quality issues
• Moisture-related structural damage
• See common signs of an inefficient building

Applied Building Science uses the “House As A System” approach & the latest problem-solving technology to first identify the root causes of our customer’s concerns. This process can save or defer spending thousands of dollars in unnecessary replacement or upgrade costs. Our goal is to minimize air leakage for heating/cooling efficiency & comfort, while providing the right type & amount of ventilation to control moisture.

The core work of Applied Building Science includes:

• Energy use & comfort assessments (Energy Audit)
• New or existing building performance consulting
• Blower door air infiltration testing
• Infrared imaging (heat loss & moisture migration scans)
• Draft sealing & weatherstripping
• Blown-in cellulose & spray-on foam insulation
• Attic, roof & house ventilation
• Replacement bath & kitchen fans
• Crawl space protection systems
• Window, door, & roof replacement

Applied Building Science serves many different customers. Here are a few clients who benefit from our services:

• Owners/managers of single homes, apartments, condominiums, historic renovations
• Owners/managers of low and high rise commercial buildings, places of worship, etc.
• Energy consultants, architects, energy service providers, Realtors, building inspectors
• Health care professionals, public arenas, convention centers, government buildings
• Partner with roofers, remodelers, HVAC technicians, mold professionals, etc.

As building shell specialists, Applied Building Science has extensive training on the interaction of air flow, heat transfer, & moisture migration moving in, out & through the building envelope.  We built our reputation on performing weatherization “makeovers” for low-income homeowners, conducted to stringent performance standards set forth by the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as state & county agencies. We attend building science & performance workshops around the country to provide our clients in the latest energy-saving & comfort products, services & techniques available.

Why We Are Here

Applied Building Science has talked with so many people with horror stories, problems, mistakes, disasters, and boondoggles with their new or existing home. Yes, some contractors and trades are as “crooked as a rum-soaked cigar”.  For most, however, it boils down to problems of education, communication and/or expectations on the part of the contractor, technician and the home or business owner.

For example, few contractors and sub-contractors – even building inspectors - understand how the components of a building interact with each other. In new construction, every trade may do its job properly, but if nobody is paying attention to the issues of moisture sources and ventilation, a house can end up with mold and mildew problems. Every aspect of the house may meet the prevailing building codes but there can still be carbon monoxide spillage into the living space. The construction supervisor may do a fine job of managing all the sub-contractors. But, if no one considers the interactions of the individual parts of the building, or think about how the building performs when occupied, all this hard work could lead to some serious health, safety, comfort and potential structural issues.

Once the house or building is constructed, diagnosing the source of air leakage, heat flow and moisture issues become more complex. Wall and ceiling coverings can hide large cavities and transition points in the shell where air, heat and moisture can flow freely from inside to outside the home, and visa versa. Remodeling projects (like additions or major renovations) can cause major changes in air, heat and moisture distribution within the structure. A once-comfortable environment can suddenly leak warmth like a sieve.

Ask insulation contractors, a heating technician, or a window salesperson the best way to warm up a cold room, and you may get three different answers. Sometimes their solution either makes the problem worse or is not value-effective to the underlying source of the problem. They are not looking at the bigger picture in addressing the true causes of the home problems. The end result may be a quick fix for temporary relief. This can be frustrating and expensive, especially if the same issues continue to plague the occupants.

Building Performance

The core of the building performance concept is an emphasis on measurable results from performance testing. Building science professionals like Applied Building Science use a diagnostic & holistic approach to problem solving. Experience, training & observation, coupled with blower door air infiltration testing, infrared imaging, & combustion analysis, allow building performance specialists to diagnose & correct the most challenging building efficiency & comfort problems.

Why test? If you don't test, you don't know. For example, what person would consent to heart replacement without extensive testing to support the need? With Applied Building Science, testing before a customer invests takes the guess work out of them making wise, value-based choices of both process & product.

But there’s more to building diagnostics than using test equipment. It also involves understanding the pitfalls of how both new & older buildings are constructed. Usually, it requires getting hands-on, like going through a crawl space or attic in search of elusive air leakage, heat loss, or moisture build-up. It sometimes involves invasive measures like removing a section of garage ceiling to find out why the bonus room is cold.

Performance testing by Applied Building Science, also assures the customer that he or she has a safe, comfortable, durable, & efficient environment when the work is completed. Pre-work & post-work testing not only guides the work process for quality assurance, but provides the customer with proof on the project’s end performance.

Weatherization Upgrade

At Applied Building Science, weatherization upgrade is something like an energy efficiency and comfort “makeover” of your home or business. It refers to the selection & application of processes & products that are specifically designed to cost-effectively address the symptoms that concern you.  No two makeovers are the same because no two structures are constructed, maintained, & used the same way. See What is Weatherization.

Applied Building Science uses products that are durable, long-lasting and safe. With few exceptions, our crews perform all of our weatherization upgrade work. This includes, air sealing, ventilation, insulation, crawl space protection systems, & more. This enables us to control the outcome from beginning to end, thus assuring our customers of results that meet or exceed their expectations. If the project involves roof replacement, for example, our roofing sub-contractor becomes part of our team, adopting our expectations in a holistic strategy to maximize protection, ventilation, comfort & energy efficiency.

Environmental care, health and safety of our clients and their home or business are paramount. Most of our products either carry the Energy Star label or are recommended by the Department of Energy. Manufacturers Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are available or provided for all air sealing, ventilation & insulating products that Applied Building Science installs.

Applied Building Science is a fully licensed & insured contractor. We have education & extensive experience in both new & existing construction. Comfort & damage symptoms experienced in the “seen” world usually have root causes in the “unseen” world. This is why we focus so heavily on educating our customers on what’s happening in their home or commercial building & why.