Where are the drafts in the house? Top 7 places that nasty chill seeps through

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Perhaps this article was a little late, and it would have been necessary to publish it at the beginning of winter, but in March it can still be very cold and windy, which means that it is worth taking care of the insulation of your home. Firstly, by insulating strategically important places, you will get rid of drafts, which often cause unpleasant colds, and secondly, you will spend significantly less heat, which is important for houses and apartments in which payment for heating depends on the amount of its consumption …

The facts below are true for both apartments and private houses.

1. If the house has an unheated attic, and a hatch leads into it from the living area, then it is necessary to apply insulation along its edges and insulate the door itself.

2. Pay attention to the ventilation openings and the location of the entrance to the walls of pipes, air ducts. The gaps between them and the wall must be properly sealed, for example, with polyurethane foam.

3. Ceiling recessed luminaires, oddly enough, also lead to heat loss, as a gap forms above the false ceiling. To insulate it, you need to use insulation that is resistant to high temperatures and treated with a fire-fighting compound.

4. The wind can move freely through the chimney from the fireplace. Problems are solved by a good damper in the pipe, which is used when the fireplace is not lit. Check how well yours is doing with the draft protection function. To do this, close the damper, set fire to a small piece of paper and, putting it in the fireplace, observe whether the smoke leaves. If yes, then the damper is leaking.

5. Windows and doors: and even from plastic windows it can see through, and even in wooden structures (especially if they are already old enough) you can find a lot of cracks, including between the glass and the frame. If you want to provide warmth, carefully examine both windows and doors and seal off the penetration of the nasty draft. Plastic windows can be adjusted or gaskets changed in them.

6. Draft can penetrate through air conditioners. If you have a window unit, then it would be logical to remove it for the cold season. If this is not possible, then seal the cracks around the air conditioner unit.

7. Draft seeps even through outlets. To make it smaller, the outlet must fit very tightly to the wall, here you also need a sealant.

Few numbers:

31% of all drafts penetrate ceilings, walls and floors;

19% - through ventilation openings and the location of the entrance to the walls of pipes, air ducts;

13% - suspended ceilings;

14% - chimney hood;

10% - windows;

11% - doors;

2% - electrical outlets.

Insulation options:

For windows and doors: the self-adhesive rubber seal is an inexpensive and easy-to-use material.

For the bottom of the door: gaskets with brushes, sealing strip.

For gaps and crevices: polyurethane foam, putty, sealants (various for rooms with high humidity and outdoor work).