If you live in an environment that experiences frigid temperatures, you know that a draft sneaking into your home can not only steal your warmth, but also your money by wasting energy.When dealing with dropping temperatures and strong winds it is common for homeowners to notice drafts and cold spots, but successfully finding the source, is less common.Most home owners take the problem into their own hands and attempt to seal cracks, windows, doors, fireplaces and even roofing with caulking or plastic wrap. This may make sense as far as fixing your problem in the short term, but may prove to be less than successful in the long run. Drafts can come from multiple place in the home and just knowing possible problem areas is half the battle.If you are positive that the draft is coming from a window or door you may consider weatherstripping but if the frame surrounding is rotted then you will be dealing with additional gaps that won’t be affected by weatherstripping. As Mike Holmes says “You can have the best windows on the market, but if the frame is rotted, you’ve got nothing”.
When you have lighting installed on the top floor of a home, usually this means that holes have been cut into the ceiling, thus connecting your living space to your attic. Since the temperature in your attic should be the same as the temperature outside, this is a direct invitation for drafts into your home. This can be prevented with proper insulation wrapped around the lights or a vapour barrier installation in the attic.
Because knowing where to find these drafts and cold spots may be extremely tricky. Before you start doing it yourself, we advise you to hire a professional who has experience finding these problem areas. Ultimately it all comes down to your physical and financial comfort. Keep your family warm and your homes energy efficient.
