Welcome to our discussion forum series, The IAQ Club, modeled after the popular community tradition, the book club.
Up Next: Using a Blower Door Test to Assess Ventilation (and More!):
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. (Eastern)
Be a sponsor! Click here for details
How it works:
When you register for an IAQ Club Session, not only will you get access to a video and/or audio presentation* from a past education event, you’ll also be able to attend an informal discussion forum** with the original presenter or other knowledgeable moderator. You’ll find the forums fun, informative, and personal. Each session encourages lively discussion of the scheduled topic (and sometimes other related issues!) Participants can ask moderators and each other questions about current projects and challenges. Each session ends with a fun, interactive trivia quiz. You might win a MIAQC hoodie or t-shirt!
*Like a book club, it is recommended, but not required, that you watch the video or listen to the audio prior to the discussion forum, as it is not shown during the forum itself.
**IAQ Club forums are held via Zoom.
Cost:
Participation in the IAQ Club is free for members in good standing (dues current) of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council, and just $25 per forum for nonmembers. All participants get advance access to the recorded education session, as well as entry into the live, discussion forum for that topic.
About this month’s session:
Using a Blower Door Test to Assess Ventilation (and More!)
Blower door tests to measure air leakage in buildings are an incredibly useful tool that can tell you a lot of different things about new and existing homes. Without a blower door test, architects, builders, weatherization professionals, code enforcement officers and other key residential construction professionals can only guess about what is happening within the built environment. Blower door tests determine air leakage rates to meet building codes and other standards, as well as air flow, pressure differentials, system performance, and more. And, especially important for the health of the occupants, blower door tests help determine the need for additional ventilation to exhaust out indoor pollutants that can make occupants sick.
This half-day program was recorded in October of 2024, and covered the following specific learning goals:
1. Why uncontrolled air leakage is a problem for the health of the building, the health of the occupants, and overall building performance
2. How to use a blower door test to determine the need for added ventilation following weatherization
3. How to use a blower door test to determine ventilation rates
4. How to use the test results to determine the building’s air leakage rate to meet Maine’s building code
5. Other things you can do with blower door tests: more accurately size HVAC systems, combustion safety, and more
About the Presenters and IAQ Club Forum Moderators:
Claire Betze is the owner of BuildingWorks LLC, a residential energy consulting firm, specializing in a holistic and integrative approach to improve the performance of existing and new homes and their mechanical systems. She is a licensed professional engineer, RESNET certified HERS Rater, and BPI certified Building Analyst Professional. Claire is also a Registered Maine Guide and loves to spend time outside enjoying all that Maine has to offer!
Colin McCullough is the owner of All-Around Home Performance, specializing in home energy audits, comprehensive air sealing, and home performance testing. Colin worked as a home energy auditor for years in the MassSave program and for Efficiency Maine as a quality assurance inspector, he is also a building science trainer/proctor for Build Green Maine. He is currently renovating his 1915 home in Farmingdale to be a high-efficiency, net-zero house.
Continuing Education Credits:
| BPI | Submitted - 1.0 credit - Course #22200 |
| AIHA | Self-Submit with Certificate of Attendance |
| Engineers | Self-Submit with Certificate of Attendance |
| USGBC | Self-Submit with Certificate of Attendance |
| BOC | Self-Submit with Certificate of Attendance |
| CEO | Submitted |
Register:
Click here to register for the January 21 Blower Door Test IAQ Club Discussion forum
