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Reducing Air Leaks in Your Home

Drafty houses can be uncomfortable to live in and they can also be expensive. Air leaks cause heating and cooling to leak outside of your home, meaning that your home is not being heated or cooled to its full potential.

Air leaks can also cause moisture issues in your home, these moisture issues can cause mold to build up causing health problems to those living in the home.

By checking some of the most common areas for air leaks, you can work on reducing air leaks in your home.

These are some of the common areas to check when it comes to air leaks. You can check for air leaks by holding a smoke pen or a lit incense stick next to the areas you feel may have leaks.

• Windows and Doors
• Plumbing Vents
• Recessed Lighting
• The spot where the foundation meets the wood framing in your basement
• Attic Hatch

There may be other areas in your home where air may be leaking out, if you feel you have detected air leaks, there are ways to seal these leaks to help reduce your energy costs.

For doors and windows you can use caulk and weather stripping to seal air leaks. Caulk can also be used to help seal air leaks around plumbing and duct work. If you feel air is leaking from outlets or switch plates, install foam gaskets behind the area. If you have single pane windows that are leaking air you may want to cover them with storm windows, or if you are at a point of replacing the windows, use new efficient double pane models. If you have air leaks surrounding fireplace chimneys or water heaters, be sure to use fire-safe materials like sheet rock or sheet metal, alongside furnace cement caulk to seal any gaps.

If you are remodeling your home or having a home built, there are some new practices you can put into place to help when it comes to reducing air leaks in your home.

• Air Barriers – These barriers help to block unwanted air movement throughout the building cavities. This helps prevent air leaks within the home and may help reduce moisture.
• House Wrap – A type of air barrier, a house wrap gets put around the exterior of the home while construction is taking place.
• Airtight Drywall – This technique creates a continuous barrier throughout a houses structure and can work to greatly reduce the chance of air leaks.

If you have noticed that your energy bills are higher than average, or higher than other homes in your area, you may want to have an energy audit done on your home. This can give you an idea of areas in your home that can be improved to help reduce your homes energy consumption.