The natural heating of summer is gone, and winter has arrived, along with the heating bill. Which, in case you didn’t know, can be triggered by air leaks that are almost invisible.
Sealing from the beginning of winter helps with energy efficiency, it takes good care of your pockets and increases the comfort. Even a poorly closed access to the attic might be an issue, but there are ways to fix those problems: with air sealing, weatherstripping, a good thermal insulation, and details like gaskets in electrical conduit wall passes.
In times of big inflation and bills that seem like a bad dream, organizations like the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory remind us that with little home energy actions we can make a big difference in winter.
3 air leaks that are cooling your house:
First, windows: over time, clearances appear in frames, and weatherstripping. Through those little cracks, cold air gets in, and hot air gets out, pushing your heating system to work extra hours. The faster solution is to change or add new self-adhesive weatherstripping (the right size); if it’s too thin or too thick, it won’t seal correctly. You can also add insulating film to form an air chamber in front of the glass to reinforce the thermal insulation. If you do, install it always on clean surfaces, and then dry it with a low-power dryer so the result looks smooth.
Second, where the services get out. Every hole for pipes, cables, or electrical conduits in exterior walls works as a leaking exit if it’s not sealed. I have personally never thought about this before, but indeed, many installations have non-sealed borders, and the air might be escaping through. To seal them, you have to use the right materials, though, like specific gaskets that surround the cable and keep the seal even if there are vibrations or temperature changes over time.
Finally, the attic. Folding hatches and ladders usually rest on moldings without weatherstripping, which creates huge entrances of air. In this case, you can start by sticking perimeter tape and add stops around the opening so that the lid settles evenly. Then close it with push hooks to compress the burlet. You could also add rigid foam on the internal side of the lid; it helps a lot with insulation.
How to seal your house well without spending too much:
Before going to the shop and getting a bunch of products, observe carefully what you are actually dealing with.
- Pass your hand close to every window and door frames, to the outdoor sockets, and the attic door. If you feel an air current, then you have found the leaking spot that needs to be sealed.
- Measure the real clearance of your windows and choose weatherstripping accordingly; installing with the wrong measure won’t get you good results.
- The glass film is a cheap reinforcement that provides a second barrier: the burlet cuts the passage of air, and the sheet adds thermal insulation.
- For the little holes, use a compatible sealing method, and if there are cables, prioritize gaskets sized to the caliber; they work better than putty and tolerate movements.
- In the attic, verify that the lid is actually flat, because if there’s any unevenness, even if you seal, the burlet might not compress, and the leak will appear again.
Start by doing the air sealing by parts: start with the weatherstripping, and then move to thermal insulation reinforcements if they are needed.
By paying attention to where this is happening and protecting the fragile areas, you will reduce your heating system’s work and also the figures on your electricity bill.