Drafts are an all-too-familiar phenomenon for homeowners here in northern Illinois — especially now that the freezing temperatures and fierce winds of winter have arrived. Many homeowners in the area believe that their windows and doors are to blame for their winter comfort woes, but the cause of indoor drafts is often something less obvious.
THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DRAFTS
The most common cause of drafts isn’t old windows; it’s a lack of insulation, along with air leaks in the home’s building envelope. When your house contains air leaks and lacks proper insulation, heat rises freely into the attic and goes straight through the roof during the winter. This creates a vacuum effect which pulls cold outdoor air in through leaks in lower areas of the home. You experience this as cold, uncomfortable drafts.
FIND THE SOURCE OF DRAFTS WITH AN ENERGY AUDIT
If you want to target those drafts in your home, your best bet is to schedule a home energy audit. During a home energy audit, an energy expert will use high-tech equipment to inspect your house for efficiency issues such as air leaks and gaps in insulation. Through a blower door test, for example, your energy expert will measure how much air leakage there is in your home’s building envelope. Through thermal imaging, meanwhile, your energy expert will pinpoint exactly where those air leaks are. After the energy audit, you will receive a detailed report about your home’s efficiency along with a list of recommendations on improvements you should make. Air sealing and installing new insulation are often at the top of this list of recommendations.
GREENLINK: WE’LL MAKE YOUR HOME MORE COMFORTABLE
Tired of drafts keeping you attached to your blankets during the winter? Talk to a home efficiency expert about how you can eliminate those drafts for good. In addition to complete home energy audits, Greenlink Energy Solutions offers free visual inspections to help homeowners understand which improvements can make their homes more comfortable and efficient. We also deliver home performance and HVAC solutions like air sealing and insulation to target issues like drafts at the root cause. From Rockford down to DeKalb, we’re here to help you with your northern Illinois home.
Want to find out what’s making your house cold and drafty?
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