Air leaks could be making you waste your money on energy costs. How? During the winter, you’re going to burn more energy heating up your home because the frigid winter air is making its way inside. You’re going to keep your furnace on high all day long just so you can maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. This is going to make your energy costs spike.
Air leaks aren’t just a problem in the winter. They can be a problem during the summer months, too. The leaks will let the hot and humid air sneak inside your rooms. You’ll have to turn up your air conditioning on high just to counteract the heat and make every level bearably cool.
To lower your energy bills, you should try your best to seal up those air leaks as soon as possible.
How Do You Spot Air Leaks?
First, you have to figure out whether you have air leaks. Start by checking around your windows and doors — these are popular spots for air to sneak in. Take a stick of lit incense and then hold it in front of your closed windows and doors on a windy day. If the smoke coming off the incense stick blows away from the exit, instead of coiling upward like normal, you’ll know for sure that you have outdoor air pushing its way indoors.
Another way to find out whether you have air leaks is to hire a professional to conduct an energy assessment on your house. They will find any vulnerable areas around your windows and exit doors, along with any other vulnerabilities in your home that are forcing you to waste energy.
How Do You Fix Them?
Once you’ve determined that your house has air leaks, how do you get rid of them? Here are some home improvement projects that will help you block those leaks and maintain your indoor temperature.
Add Caulking
If you have air leaks around your windows, you’ll want to seal the gaps with caulking to keep the outdoor chill out. You can do the same for your exterior doors.
Get Upgrades
If you have old, low-quality windows, caulking might not be enough to keep the cold out. In that case, you might want to consider upgrading the windows in your home to high-quality, energy-efficient options. These can help you conserve lots of heat and keep your interior temperature nice and warm for the winter.
You can also upgrade your exterior doors. Choose options made with high-density fiberglass and polyurethane foam cores — these qualities are excellent for insulation.
Check Your Lights
Your recessed lighting could be letting in air leaks. This is an easy fix! All you have to do is add air-tight baffles behind your bulbs.
Insulate Your Attic
Your attic may be a large source of cold air creeping into the home. You should consider adding more insulation into your attic walls, even if you don’t use the level as anything more than a storage area. Adding insulation into the walls will keep the cold air outdoors, limit energy waste and make your nearby rooms much more comfortable.
You shouldn’t be wasting so much money on heating every winter. It’s time to fix those pesky air leaks and save yourself the money and the discomfort.