Here we share some observations about and snapshots of the Passive House we had built in Oakland County, Michigan. All photographs were taken by us unless otherwise noted.

A blower door test conducted by Matt Rosendaul of Great Lakes Home Performance confirmed that the house is on target for meeting the Passive House standard for air tightness. This test involves sealing a doorway with an air barrier which includes a variable speed fan that is adjusted to achieve an indoor pressure 50 pascals lower, and in a subsequent test higher, than the outside pressure. The flow of air through the fan indicates leakage through the building envelope. To locate gaps, the pressure differential is increased and a smoke pencil is used at various places to detect leaks in the air barrier. The readings we achieved fell below 300 cubic feet per minute. This compares quite favorably with the 8,000 cubic feet per minute that Matt recorded before taking remedial action on a Victorian house he once owned. The final blower test will take place after caulking has been done and after insulation and drywall have been installed. A window rather than a door will be used for improved sealing of the fan barrier, and a more sensitive duct instrument will be used for measurements.