I’m a big believer in the motto “Build Tight, Ventilate Right” so I seal up my houses super tightly (Mark LaLiberte is my hero!).
Here in Austin, TX most of our houses are slab-on-grade, and I typically spray foam all the walls and use spray foam on the roof deck to create a conditioned attic space.
Our HVAC systems have a rigid pipe for fresh air and this works really well until you get a client who wants a mega-sized commercial range. Those ranges generate alot of BTU’s of heat and the manufacturers recommend a equally powerful exhaust hood. In a project we just completed we fully remodeled a 50’s house that was roughly 1700 square feet. As usual we fully foamed the house and made a super tight shell.
But, the client specified a 600 CFM exhaust hood for the gas range.
This video will show you how we supplied make-up air under the range so when the exhaust fan turns on it will actually be able to suck the moisture/smoke/gas out of the house.
– Matt Risinger
