WHEN PROGRESS HITS A WALL: SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT FAILED EXPERIMENTS
- Totally get what you mean about the house feeling stuffier after window upgrades. We swapped out all our old single panes for high-efficiency units last year, and I was honestly surprised how much less “fresh” the air felt.
- Turns out, those old leaky windows were basically passive vents. Once they’re gone, you lose a lot of that accidental airflow.
- I dug into some building science forums and found it’s pretty common—tight envelopes need mechanical ventilation or at least trickle vents. We ended up installing a small HRV system. Not cheap, but it made a noticeable difference.
- On the condensation thing, that’s rough. I was paranoid about installer quality for exactly that reason. Triple panes are great in theory, but only if they’re done right...otherwise you’re just trapping problems inside the glass.
- Don’t let it get you down though. Even when things go sideways, you learn a ton about your house and what actually works in real life vs. on paper.
WHEN PROGRESS HITS A WALL: SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT FAILED EXPERIMENTS
Had the same issue after sealing up our place. Air got stale fast, and the humidity shot up. Ended up cracking a window in the bathroom most days just to keep things feeling normal. Mechanical ventilation’s a must if you want to keep things tight—wish I’d known that before.
WHEN PROGRESS HITS A WALL: SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT FAILED EXPERIMENTS
That’s a common pitfall with newer builds or heavy retrofits—tight envelopes are great for efficiency, but without a solid ventilation plan, you’re trading one problem for another. I’ve seen projects where folks skipped HRVs or ERVs to save costs, only to deal with mold and comfort complaints down the line. Honestly, it’s one of those things you don’t realize until you’re living with it. Retrofitting ventilation after the fact is always more expensive and disruptive than planning for it upfront.
WHEN PROGRESS HITS A WALL: SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT FAILED EXPERIMENTS
You nailed it—tight envelopes are awesome until you realize you’re basically living in a ziplock bag. I learned the hard way on my last reno...skipped the ERV thinking cracked windows would do the trick. Nope. Ended up with condensation on every window and a musty smell that wouldn’t quit. It’s wild how easy it is to overlook ventilation when you’re focused on insulation and air sealing. Definitely worth budgeting for up front, even if it stings a bit.
“skipped the ERV thinking cracked windows would do the trick. Nope. Ended up with condensation on every window and a musty smell that wouldn’t quit.”
That’s such a common trap—people think a few open windows are enough, but it’s just not the same as controlled ventilation. Out of curiosity, did you notice any difference in air quality or comfort before the condensation started? I’ve seen projects where folks try to balance energy efficiency and fresh air, but it always seems like something’s gotta give. Ever consider a retrofit ERV after the fact, or was it too much hassle?
