Solar Contractor Helps Florida State Capitol Meet Duct Sealing Codes Using Aeroseal
As duct sealing codes change, Aeroseal provides confidence projects will comply and pass inspection.
The Florida State Capitol building is the centerpiece of downtown Tallahassee. The 22-story government structure towers over the entire city as it serves as Florida’s home to its executive and legislative branches of state politics. During a building renovation/retrofit project involving several of the building’s bathrooms, engineers noted that much of the existing exhaust ductwork had never been sealed, and new building code regulations require sealed ductwork. Plus, the contractors knew that sealed air ducts are paramount to maintaining and ensuring proper exhaust for the building’s HVAC system. While new fans and other equipment were being specified in to the original contractor bids, lead engineers familiar with Aeroseal included aerosol-based duct sealing in the specification too.
In Brief
- Building: Florida State Capitol Building
- Location: Tallahassee, Florida
- Aeroseal Contractor: TruSeal a.ka. Independent Green Technologies, LLC (Solar Contractor)
- Engineer of Record: H2Engineering, Inc.
- Mechanical Contractor: Parker Services, Inc.
- Goal: Meet duct sealing codes in the most cost-effective manner to achieve code compliance for building renovation/retrofit.
- Before Aeroseal: 592 CFM of leakage
- After Aeroseal: 97 CFM of leakage
- Results: Sealed air ducts with 85% reduction in leakage for approximately 30% less costs than hand duct sealing alone; Achieved duct sealing code compliance
Aeroseal was compared head-to-head with bids for hand sealing alone (e.g. mastic, tape) and won the contract. It not only proved to be a cost-effective solution for sealing the existing ductwork, but its unique from-the-inside application provided minimal disruption to the building’s regular functioning. Unlike hand sealing, you do not have to tear down walls to seal air ducts hidden behind drywall.
Florida-based solar contractor Independent Green Technologies, LLC sealed nine bathroom exhaust shafts in only a weekend. The total cost for the project was estimated to be around 30% lower then the average bid for hand sealing alone. Most importantly, all of the air ducts were effectively sealed, and code compliance was certified in real-time using the Aeroseal Certificate of Completion generated instantly at the completion of each Aeroseal duct sealing project showing pre-seal and post-seal duct leakage (CFM).
The engineers plan on using Aeroseal for future duct test and repair (DTR) projects at the Capitol building and other facilities.
Testimonials
“The reason we went with Aeroseal is that it is so much easier to apply in an existing building. Unlike traditional manual sealing, we did not have to remove the ceiling tiles, unwrap and rewrap insulation or deal with other obstacles. It was all done quickly and without interruption to the rest of the building.” Dan Henderson, Project Engineer, H2Engineering Inc.
“The built-in verification aspect of Aeroseal is a real time and cost saver. Ductwork testing after sealing is all part of the normal Aeroseal process so we didn’t need to hire an additional contractor to ensure the sealing was effective. It was pretty clear that there was going to be substantial savings with Aeroseal.” Jeremy Parker, Mechanical Contractor, Parker Services, Inc.
“The engineers were happy. The mechanical contractors were happy. Everyone was surprised how fast and unobtrusive the entire process turned out to be. We will be doing the rest of the building once they are ready to continue with more duct sealing, and I expect the positive impression we made on this project will lead to more opportunities right around the corner.” Heath Allbaugh, Certified TAB and Duct Sealing Specialist, TruSeal (Independent Green Technologies, LLC)
We Can Help You Too.
To learn more about meeting duct sealing codes for a home or building renovation project and improving heating/cooling, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency, email us a message to info@aeroseal.com or give us a call 937-428-9300.