Seal an invited Youngstown home against the valley winter

Youngstown's frame houses were built for steel wages that left fifty years ago, and their drafts now drain some of Ohio's lowest household incomes every winter. Same-day draft sealing is the highest-return hour of work on the block. Standard: DOE cold-climate air-sealing guidance; SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy. Proof: Before/after photos of each sealed opening Method (DOE cold-climate air-sealing guidance; SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy.): 1. Confirm the host's invitation and hand-test doors and windows for drafts. 2. Weatherstrip leaky edges and fit sweeps to gapped doors. 3. Caulk stationary indoor trim gaps and seal obvious attic-hatch leaks with gasket tape. 4. Re-test the fixed openings. 5. Photograph each opening before and after with GPS and date on. Done when: Before/after photos of each sealed opening

Where

Host-invited home, Glenwood Avenue block, Youngstown, OH 44511

Pay

$80 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Before/after photos of each sealed opening

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

entry

Open until

2026-09-01

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 90–240 minutes. Method of record: Ohio Development Services Agency Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) — the state pass-through of the DOE Weatherization Assistance Program's cold-climate field protocol: blower-door-directed air sealing toward a CFM50 infiltration target, attic insulation to R-49 / wall cavity to R-13, and mandatory pre/post combustion-safety testing before any tightening closes out.

Bring

• calibrated blower-door fan + manometer
• combustion-safety analyzer (CO/ambient + spillage check)
• camera
• caulk gun + spray foam + weatherstripping
• insulation (blown-in or batt, rated to R-49 attic / R-13 wall)
• smoke pencil (leak-path tracing)
• tape measure + infrared thermometer

Steps

1. 1. Walk the home with the occupant, note every combustion appliance present, and photograph each nameplate before any work begins.
2. 2. Set up the calibrated blower door in the main entry and record the baseline CFM50 reading.
3. 3. Trace and photograph the top infiltration paths with a smoke pencil (rim joist, attic hatch, penetrations, window/door perimeters).
4. 4. Run the pre-tightening combustion-safety check (ambient CO reading, spillage test at draft hoods) with the blower door off; a failed check stops the job and routes to a licensed HVAC technician before any sealing.
5. 5. Air-seal the ranked leak paths in order and bring attic insulation to R-49 / accessible wall cavity to R-13 per the HWAP job sheet, maintaining required soffit-to-ridge ventilation.
6. 6. Re-run the blower-door test to confirm the new CFM50 result.
7. 7. Run the mandatory post-tightening combustion-safety re-test; a failed re-test stops the job and routes to a licensed HVAC technician for venting correction before further sealing.
8. 8. Photograph the finished insulation depth and the passed post-tightening combustion-safety check; enter before/after CFM50, materials used, and the combustion-safety result into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Pre-tightening combustion-safety check fails (elevated CO or spillage) -> STOP: do not tighten the home; route to a licensed HVAC technician before any sealing proceeds.
• Post-tightening combustion-safety re-test fails -> STOP: back off sealing and route to a licensed HVAC technician for venting correction before close-out.
• Home is pre-1978 with disturbed/peeling paint at a sealing surface -> STOP: do not scrape or sand; route to an EPA RRP lead-safe certified pro.

What counts as done

• Before and after CFM50 readings from the same calibrated blower-door setup
• Photos of each sealed leak path and the finished attic/wall insulation depth
• Post-tightening combustion-safety (CO/backdraft) check passed and logged
• Required soffit-to-ridge ventilation maintained after insulation work

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.