Published Date 10/14/2021
There is no such thing as an airtight house. Even the newest of homes have air leakage, even with today’s strict building codes. According to Realtor’s Terri Williams, if you’re not sealing your home against air leakage, however, you’re significantly reducing your energy efficiency.
“In addition to losing heat or air conditioning, you could also be overworking your HVAC system, which could shorten its life span,” says Williams, who goes on to say, “A generally drafty home is one of the most obvious signs of some air leakage (even if the actual source of said draftiness may be tougher to determine, since it’s usually not just from doors or windows). Another likely sign: If you notice an increase in your monthly utility bills, or you discover that it costs more to heat and cool your house compared with a similarly sized home in your neighborhood. An air leak could also be throwing your thermostat out of whack.”
Williams also quotes one duct-sealing expert who admits that if you live in a two-story home with a basement and notice the second floor is hot but the basement is very cold, your ductwork is probably leaking. Another telltale sign is when you dust all of the time but find that it accumulates faster than you can keep up. Negative pressure in the house can draw dusty air in from attics, crawl spaces, and garages. If symptoms of common outdoor allergies tend to get worse when you’re indoors, it’s probably because outdoor air is leaking in, messing up your indoor air quality, she says.
Look for gaps or cracks in the foundation, but don’t discount that foundation cracks can also be indicative of more significant issues than air leakage. Also look for any cracks or gapping in the caulking around doors and windows. Do your windows steam up on the inside? It means the glass seal is broken. Also inspect all corners of brick and siding, chimney chases, and exterior electrical. Look for gaps, holes, or cracks, and consider sealing them with cement or caulk. Faulty basement and attic insulation can also be culprits. Look for holes where the electrical wires, phone and internet lines, and HVAC and plumbing pipes run down the walls. Then seal those holes with caulking or expanding foam.
Ever detect an odor in your laundry room while the dryer is running that smells like wet clean laundry? If your laundry room appears to be humid, steamy, or you see a lot of lint, that may mean the piping is loose and the air is escaping into your laundry room. A stealthy way to find out is to take a video behind the dryer while it’s running and see if there are dust bunnies in the air. Other ways to detect airflow loss is to hold a candle or lighter in front of a questionable area to see if there’s a draft. Remember that scene out in the movie “The Martian” where Matt Damon’s character held up a match to see where the flame and smoke began to go when sealing up his home away from home? Same idea.
One of the best tests is to try out your system when you don’t really need it. See if your AC gets cold; see of your heater gets warm. Then walk the perimeter of your home and run your hand along your baseboards, windows, doors, and electrical outlets to see if there is a difference in temperature, he says. If you notice a significant difference, it means you have an air leak. An even more efficient path is to hire a professional to perform an energy audit.
Realtor, TBWS
All information furnished has been forwarded to you and is provided by thetbwsgroup only for informational purposes. Forecasting shall be considered as events which may be expected but not guaranteed. Neither the forwarding party and/or company nor thetbwsgroup assume any responsibility to any person who relies on information or forecasting contained in this report and disclaims all liability in respect to decisions or actions, or lack thereof based on any or all of the contents of this report.
Wymac Capital, Inc.
NMLS: NMLS: 290837 | Broker CalRE: 01150730
Wymac Capital, Inc.
346 Rheem Blvd #107, Moraga CA 94556
Company NMLS: 18766
Office: 925-937-4300
Email: russellm@wymac.com
Web: https://wymac.com
NMLS: NMLS: 290837 | Broker CalRE: 01150730
1/19/2024
If 2024 is the year when your biggest wish is to make buying a home a reality...... view more
7/26/2023
This afternoon the FOMC will increase the FF rate by 25 bps taking it to a range... view more
5/22/2023
These are the three areas that have the greatest ability to impact rates this we... view more
5/22/2023
Nothing this week tops the debt ceiling talks. Biden and McCarthy scheduled to m... view more
3/17/2023
Concerns over bank issues slowed yesterday, some key Wall Street firms suggestin... view more
3/14/2023
February headline Consumer Prices (CPI) increased by 0.4% on a MOM basis and 6.0... view more
3/2/2023
Initial Weekly Jobless Claims were lower than expected (190K vs. est. of 195K). ... view more
3/1/2023
What’s the true story about job growth? In the WSJ this morning, an article sayi... view more
2/28/2023
December YOY Case Shiller Home Price Index tanked from an appreciation rate of 6... view more