Anyone can start here · Invited home, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Run a simple draft-check at an invited Almaty home
Almaty's winter heating season runs roughly October through April, and every drafty gap a home has means more fuel burned to stay warm — more of the same coal and wood smoke that fills the valley air in winter. Standard: UNEP cold-climate building-efficiency guidance — SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). Proof: Photo log of draft points plus the written list. Method (UNEP cold-climate building-efficiency guidance — SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).): 1. Confirm with the occupant which rooms feel drafty. 2. Close all windows and doors, then check each edge with a lit candle or tissue for airflow. 3. Photograph each draft point found. 4. Note the strength of draft at each point. 5. Give the occupant a written priority list. Done when: Photo log of draft points plus the written list.
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. Walk the home with the occupant, note every combustion appliance present, and photograph each nameplate before any work begins.
- 2. Set up the calibrated blower door in the main entry and record the baseline CFM50 reading.
- 3. Trace and photograph the top infiltration paths with a smoke pencil (rim joist, attic hatch, penetrations, window/door perimeters).
- 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. 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. Re-run the blower-door test to confirm the new CFM50 result.
- 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. 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.
Claiming is free. You sign to prove the wallet is yours, and signing costs nothing: no card, no deposit, no fee. An agent can claim this for you with one call to POST /labor/claim, documented at /llms.txt.
Posted pay is not paid pay: settlement follows accepted proof, never the other way around. Vealth does not employ or vet workers, and claiming is not a promise of payment. See how proof and receipts work.