Houses are not perfectly insulated; they all lose some amount of heat. But, some are more troublesome than others. If you constantly feel chilly inside your home and find yourself turning up the heat regularly, then your home is likely experiencing significant heat loss.
Heat loss results in higher utility bills and puts increased strain on your heating system, decreasing its lifespan. Other less obvious warning signs can also indicate that your home is experiencing heat loss. This article will run through three common heat loss indicators and provide you with some easy remedies.
Drafts Around the Windows and Doors
You may be asking yourself:
Where is my house losing heat? To answer this question, feel around your doors and windows. If the air is cool, then this is probably where all the warm air is escaping.
Drafts around windows can account for most of the heat loss in our homes. It forces your furnace to work overtime, putting more wear and tear on the unit and leaving you with a higher energy bill.
Fixes:
- Lock your windows and apply weatherstripping. Window locks pull the sashes together, closing up the space that air can escape through.
- Apply weather strips to the sides and top of doors and windows as well as door sweeps to the bottom of exterior doors.
- Use physical barriers such as door snakes to prevent door drafts. Door snakes are long tubes filled with sand that are placed along the foot of a door.
- Although it does not entirely eliminate the drafts, installing heavy drapes is another way to keep more heat in your home.
Visual Gaps Around Outlets and Fixtures
Any gap or hole in your home is a path for warm air to escape, no matter how small. Having multiple outlets or fixtures with openings can contribute to an under-heated house.
Cruise through your home and look for visual gaps around your outlets and fixtures. They are usually easy to spot. Gaps are commonly found where floors and walls meet and where recessed lighting and fans are installed on the ceiling.
Fixes:
- Use non-combustible caulking around outlets and fixtures to seal the gaps.
- Spray foam can be used to insulate the space around electrical boxes.
- Use plastic covers for any outlets that are not in use, do not leave them exposed.
No Frost on Roof When Other Roofs Have Frost
At first, you might feel lucky to have a roof that melts quickly, preventing icicles and reducing your winter workload. The truth is, if your roof lacks frost when your neighbour’s roofs have a blanket of white, your attic is inadequately insulated.
When your attic is poorly insulated, heat escapes through the roof melting snow and ice on your roof and gutters. This isn’t the type of problem you want to procrastinate with. Accumulated water will eventually seep into the attic and outside walls.
Fixes
- Add or replace your attic insulation.
- Ensure the ductwork is properly sealed throughout the attic.
- Hire a home energy professional to perform a comprehensive energy audit.
Looking for Professional Help?
As you can see, there are numerous ways in which your home can experience heat loss. Most people have no idea how to tell if their house is losing heat or can’t be bothered to investigate the issue further.
If you are in or around the Toronto area and are looking for a professional insulation company, get in touch with Foam Comfort today! We specialize in keeping residential properties warm and helping our clients gain control over their energy bills.
Visit our website for more information or call our friendly team at 416-410-0961.
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