Window Air Leaks
Where do air leaks occur?
A house is only as air-tight as its construction, building products and quality of craftsmanship. Consider all of your ceilings, walls, windows and doors, and all the nooks and crannies, cracks and crevices in your home. As you can imagine, if your home isn’t properly insulated, air can get in anywhere!
What causes air leaks?
Enter science! Air pressure will always go from high to low pressure to achieve equilibrium. And of course, there’s a difference in pressure between the cold air outside and the warm air inside. Therefore, low pressure inside your home means the cold air outside wants to come in. And high pressure in your home means the warm air inside is doing its best to get outside.
Not only that, you’ll remember from science class the “stack effect” and that warm air rises. Your home could be allowing cold air leaks into the basement. As it works its way up through your home, it gains heat. By the time that air leak disappears through your attic, it’s taking your heat with it! Talk about an unwanted guest. Two different causes with the same effect: you’re losing money and energy.
Can I minimize air leaks?
Absolutely! Creating an air barrier throughout your home eliminates air leaks. A vapour seal on your attic floor prevents your home’s warm air from escaping through the attic and roof. However, it is just as important to cut off the incoming air at the source. We’ve found that spray foam applied in the joist header areas (the area immediately above the foundation and just below the main floor), prevents cold air from entering into the house. The lower-level drafts will be reduced, resulting in less air leakage into the attic. Many products can help to reduce air leaks, but spray foam insulation with its uniform air barrier does an exceptional job at stopping air leaks altogether.
Who cares?
Well, you should! Believe it or not, those tiny nooks and crannies can wreak havoc on your energy bills. Air leaks can account for up to 40 per cent of the energy used to heat and cool your home.
Call Above All Insulation today to schedule a free estimate and we’ll come down to suggest how you can upgrade your home to reduce air leaks.