Can a house be too well insulated or too air tight?
by
JustMe
I see recommendations for new construction to tape the seams between exterior sheathing panels, use spray foam on the inside where the sheathing meets the plates and around all holes, openings and gaps, etc. Once it's all done, it seeems the home should be almost airtight except for, I guess, the kitchen and bath vents. Is there a need to allow fresh air in and stale, moist air out?
I will be building a new home and need to know how air tight it should be.
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If the air quality bin your home is good, and you don't have issues with mold, etc - you shouldn't have much to worry about. That said, it's tough to know re: the air quality until there are symptoms (some people find that they cough, sneeze, etc inside and it goes away when they are outdoors, for example). When you build the home, regardless of how you build it, can you keep windows open from time to time just for a happy medium?
Tight house syndrome can be a problem. Ever consider living inside a plastic bag? If you have children running in and out 24/7 it's never a problem in the living space, however consideration should be given to "dead areas" that rarely , if ever see air exchange and no sunlight because these are areas that can promote mold and mildew to flourish.
Check out This Old House and ask Tom Silva for his professional advice. He's built and rebuilt a lot of beautiful homes in his career. He's the best. Good luck.