As temperatures begin to drop in the fall, you may notice your home feeling a little colder than usual. Maybe there’s a chilly spot near the floor, a room that never seems to warm up, or a noticeable draft even when all the windows and doors are closed.
While some drafts are easy to identify, others can come from places you might never think to check. Small gaps and openings throughout your home’s structure can allow cold outdoor air to enter and conditioned air to escape.
Before Wisconsin winter arrives, here are some of the hidden places where cold air may be sneaking into your home.
Around Windows and Doors
Windows and exterior doors are obvious places to look for drafts, but the source isn’t always the window or door itself. Worn weatherstripping, deteriorated caulk, and gaps around the frame can all allow outside air into your home.
If you feel cold air around a window or door, the problem may be the seal surrounding it rather than the window itself.
Behind Electrical Outlets and Switches
Electrical outlets and light switches installed on exterior walls can create small openings between your home’s conditioned space and the wall cavity. If those areas aren’t properly sealed and insulated, cold air can find its way through.
Individually, these gaps may be small. Throughout an entire house, however, they can contribute to unwanted air leakage.
Around Plumbing and Wiring
Your home’s plumbing, electrical wiring, and other utilities have to pass through walls, floors, ceilings, and other parts of the building envelope. The openings created for these systems aren’t always completely sealed.
These small penetrations can become pathways for cold outdoor air, particularly when they connect to an attic, basement, crawl space, or exterior wall.
Your Attic Access Door
An attic access panel may seem insignificant, but it can be a major source of air leakage. If the hatch isn’t properly insulated and sealed, warm air can escape into the attic while cold air enters your living space.
Because the attic is often significantly colder than the rest of the home during winter, even a small gap can contribute to noticeable temperature differences.
The Rim Joist
The rim joist is located where your home’s foundation meets the wooden framing above it. This area contains numerous seams and penetrations, making it a common location for air leakage.
Because it’s often out of sight in a basement or crawl space, homeowners may not realize it’s contributing to cold floors or chilly rooms.
Around Chimneys and Flues
Where chimneys, flues, and other components pass through the home’s structure, there can be gaps that allow air movement. These areas require appropriate materials and professional attention because of the temperatures and safety considerations involved.
Recessed Lighting
Some recessed lighting fixtures create openings between your living space and the attic. Depending on the type of fixture and how it was installed, these openings can contribute to air leakage.
Older homes can be particularly susceptible to this type of hidden air loss.
Behind Baseboards and Trim
Gaps behind baseboards, trim, and other finish materials can sometimes connect interior spaces to wall cavities or exterior areas. These aren’t always large enough to notice visually, but they can contribute to drafts throughout a home.
Basement and Crawl Space Areas
Basements and crawl spaces can be major sources of cold air infiltration. Gaps around foundation walls, windows, pipes, wiring, ductwork, and other penetrations can allow cold air to move into the home.
Insulating and air sealing these areas can make a noticeable difference in comfort, particularly in rooms located above or adjacent to them.
The Building Envelope Itself
Sometimes there’s no single obvious source of the draft. Instead, air may be entering through dozens of small gaps throughout the home.
This is why simply adding insulation isn’t always enough. Insulation helps slow heat transfer, but properly addressing drafts may also require air sealing to reduce unwanted air movement.
Get Your Home Ready for Winter
If your home feels drafty every fall and winter, don’t assume it’s something you simply have to live with. Hidden air leaks and inadequate insulation could be making your home less comfortable and forcing your heating system to work harder.
Superior Spray Foam can help identify problem areas and determine whether insulation and air sealing could improve your home’s comfort and efficiency. From attics and rim joists to basements and crawl spaces, professional spray foam installation can help address hard-to-reach areas where cold air may be getting in.
Don’t wait until the coldest part of winter to find out where your home is losing heat. Contact Superior Spray Foam today to learn how you can prepare your home for a warmer, more comfortable winter.
FAQ: Cold Air and Home Insulation
Why does my house feel drafty even when the windows are closed?
Cold air can enter through many areas besides windows, including doors, attics, rim joists, crawl spaces, electrical penetrations, plumbing openings, and other gaps in the building envelope.
How can I tell where cold air is coming into my house?
You may be able to identify obvious drafts by feeling around windows, doors, outlets, baseboards, and other areas. However, professional air-leakage testing can help identify hidden sources that aren’t easy to detect.
Does insulation stop cold air from entering?
Insulation slows heat transfer, but it doesn’t necessarily stop air movement. Air sealing is often necessary to address gaps and cracks that allow outside air to enter the home.
Can spray foam help with drafts?
Yes. Spray foam can help insulate and seal gaps and irregular areas where unwanted air movement occurs. It can be particularly useful in areas such as rim joists, attics, crawl spaces, and other hard-to-reach locations.
When is the best time to address drafts?
Fall is an ideal time to inspect your home’s insulation and air sealing before the coldest weather arrives. Addressing problem areas before winter can help improve comfort when you need your heating system most.
Can a drafty house cause higher energy bills?
Potentially. Air leaks allow conditioned air to escape and outdoor air to enter, which can make your heating and cooling system work harder to maintain your desired indoor temperature. Improving air sealing and insulation can help reduce this unwanted heat transfer.
