How To Heal A Drafty Home

A drafty home is uncomfortable to live in and costly to keep warm. However, there are easy ways to heal a drafty home, and these are not going to be hard on your wallet. The following are some suggestions you might want to consider.

Examine the doors and windows to determine if air is leaking into your home. One way to do this is to have a person outside shine a flashlight around the doors and windows while a person on the darkened inside checks for light shining into the home. However, doors should always have weather sealing strips that are capable of blocking air. It might be appropriate to add caulking around the door and window frames. Windows and doors are the most likely culprits of drafty homes.

Another source of cold air are the windows that do not have adequate coverings, drapes or blinds to block the cold air from penetrating the home. By covering the windows with a material that will prevent cold air from being a problem, you can eliminate the discomfort that comes when setting by a cold window. You can also lower your heating costs.

A lot of cold air enters into the attic, and then this cold air will make the rest of your home cold. Cold air enters through the vent holes that are not adequately sealed. The sealant around every opening in the attic will crack and separate over time. The sealant around the chimney can allow a lot of cold air to enter into the attic. Often overlooked is the area where the roof joists join the walls. There may be open spaces and a lack of insulation in these areas. The attic access door should be insulated. You might ask an insulation contractor to advise you if your attic insulation is sufficient to keep your home warm with the least possible costs.

Make sure that the kitchen, bathroom and dryer vents are adequately sealed. Since these vents are outside of the home, and there is always the possibility that these are not properly sealed.

Look in the basement for possible ways for cold air to enter. The hot water heater vent is one such possibility. There may be open areas where the foundation joins the walls, and these should be closed off with insulation until a more permanent solution can be found.

While each of the above methods for healing a drafty home may seem like they will produce only minimal results, a notion which is totally false, when taken as a collective solution these will add up to a significant healing of a drafting home as well as a significant energy savings.

For more information regarding real estate tips, visit Kathy McCarthy’s website or Facebook page!

from kathy mccarthy homes http://ift.tt/1OGfFk8
via IFTTT