It is common for homes to have leaks and cracks, allowing cold and hot air to get in or escape. It is vital to identify these areas to air seal them to have a comfortable temperature in your home.
Common places in a house that may need air sealing
Attic
If a home’s attic does not have proper and adequate insulation, it can make air escape. Moreover, as the warmer air rises and reaches the attic during winter, there might be several holes and cracks that lead to the outside of your home. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the attic and the roof when identifying areas where air could be escaping.
Doors and windows
Doors and windows are often the first areas when your home’s cold and hot air is escaping because they are the areas where you can feel escaping air. Thus, it is among the most common areas that require air sealing in your house.
Floor
Air can seep out via the floor in your house just it can escape through the roof. It might be that there is no adequate insulation on the floors allowing air to escape. You should also check for cracks around the floors’ perimeter that can be sealed.
Fireplace
When the fireplace is idle, it might be an area where air escapes if it is not well sealed. Air sealing the fireplace will address unwanted leaks and drafts.
Benefits of air sealing
There are several benefits of air sealing the house, including:
- Saving on energy bill: Attic insulation minimizes the cost of heating and cooling your home. It leaves out of the home during winter and gets into the house during summer. Adequate attic insulation minimizes this airflow so that you do not use much energy to regulate heat in your home.
- Controls air leakage: Attic insulation limits leakage of air into the house. Research shows that air leakages account for forty percent of house heating costs. Thus, if air leakage is addressed in the house, you can minimize your utility bills.
- Provides better air quality: Pollutants such as radon, dirt, mold, and smoke enter your house from outside. Insulating your attic prevents the effects of these air pollutants.
- Prevents winter ice dams: Attic insulation minimizes ice dams on the roof during winter. Icicles can lead to substantial damage to the exterior and the interior of your home.
- Deters Pests: Proper Attic insulation keeps unwanted rodents and pests from the attic of your building. No homeowner would wish to find a bird’s or squirrel’s nest in your attic.
