Speak to me about drafts (other than sports, war, or woodstoves)

[Dalmatian90]

So I know I need to replace my kitchen door, but I never use it and never worried about it after I had a miscalculation when I first moved in (the new floor tiles dry fit just fine, but the mortar made them high enough to block it...16 years I still haven't used the door or had any reason to.)

My house isn't the best insulated, though starting to address leaks and insulation is on my punch list for this year. I've always just assumed it is what it is.

I knew there was air coming in around the kitchen door, and today decided to slap up some duct tape as a Red Green approved repair with the intention of rebuilding the sill, new door, etc. in the summer.

It's zero out. With a -20 wind chill.

My.house.is.totally.different. Like it's acting like it's 30 outside.

Now here is the real question that I couldn't seem to figure out the right way to ask Google: Can you feel a draft in other rooms well away from the source?

My living room windows that in zero degree weather I can feel cold air pouring off and usually pull down the blinds to limit it seem not too bad.

A draft I usually feel in the bedroom...is not there, or at least 90% reduced.

The wind is so strong out, two or three times today I witnessed the stove push smoke into the house despite a 450 degree flue temp!

But sealing up that on door seems to have changed the entire house.

 

[HuskStihl]

Sure does! Heat flows from warm to cold. U'r warm bedroom heat leaves to follow the temperature gradient into the kitchen.

 

[laynes69]

When airsealing, concentrate in the attic, move into the basement or crawlspace, then the main living areas. Caulking under baseboards, around windows, etc. are also other places to look at. The only good thing about sub zero weather is finding leaks, otherwise wetting the back of your hand works well. We've gone quite a ways on our home. I'm willing to bet we've cut our heating demand by at least 30% by airsealing. After adding insulation to the attic, it was much better. Our wood usage has dropped and our comfort level has increased. Not only does it benefit winter, but you feel the difference in summer.

 

[cantoo]

Us e a candle it will help you find leaky spots.

 

[maine]

a non-contact infrared thermometer can be had for pretty cheap. (as low as $15)
try amazon and read the reviews.

if you want to spend a little more go with FLIR.

best ways i can think of to find drafts and how your windows are are keeping the cold out..

 

[M.R.]

Guessing Draft Horses are out to. ;-)
.
A book of matches ...lite one blow
It out & watch the smoke drift works
for me.

 

[pennsywoodburnr]

My house isn't the best as far as insulation goes either. When they built these vacation homes out here they really cut corners, probably I imagine, because the builders never envisioned someone taking full time residence up in one. The attic has blown in insulation (but I doubt it's anything but low-level R value anyway) and you can really feel the drafts from the bottom of the front door and around the windows. The door we get around the problem by stuffing an old towel length-wise to cut the cold air off and the windows get the heavy curtain treatment. With this wind we've got going now and the -8 that's been forecast for tonight you can even feel cold air come in through the electrical outlets!

 

[zogger]

My house isn't the best as far as insulation goes either. When they built these vacation homes out here they really cut corners, probably I imagine, because the builders never envisioned someone taking full time residence up in one. The attic has blown in insulation (but I doubt it's anything but low-level R value anyway) and you can really feel the drafts from the bottom of the front door and around the windows. The door we get around the problem by stuffing an old towel length-wise to cut the cold air off and the windows get the heavy curtain treatment. With this wind we've got going now and the -8 that's been forecast for tonight you can even feel cold air come in through the electrical outlets!

You can buy a pack of outlet foam insulators for a few dollars.

 

[zogger]

Back in the 80s I was working for a company that did insulation retrofits. Back then infrared photography is what we used, for before pics to see where the major leaks were, then after to show the job we had done. We hired that out because the photo gear was expensive but today it is cheap.

Windows, doors, pipes and wires going into houses were the biggees.

Some of the houses had combined total cracks for air leaks that amounted to several square feet, it did an amazing job sealing everything up better.

Today any sort of cheap night vision gear, you should be able to walk around at night and just look at your house, the major air leaks and heat loss areas will stand out quite readily.

I personally feel our US "culture" is way more interested in just burning more whatever is used fuel (oil, propain, electric, wood, whatever) over addressing insulation. Bigger furnace or more efficient furnace, etc, or just changing heat source types over just retaining what heat ya got in the first place.

And this is because the big utility companies have no desire to sell you *less* of their product.

 

[laynes69]

Seek thermal sells an infrared camera that attaches to a certain iPhone and a few android phones for $199. I'll be getting one just for airsealing purposes.

 

[pennsywoodburnr]

You can buy a pack of outlet foam insulators for a few dollars.

I thought about rummaging through some of the drawers in the kitchen to see if I could find some of those plastic outlet covers they sell to keep kids grubby little fingers out of electrical sockets. We used to have a bunch of them when the little guy was first born. But, like all things, my mind was distracted by something else and I never got around to it. On a side note, we kept the house at a respectable 73-74*.

 

[dave_dj1]

Back in the 80s I was working for a company that did insulation retrofits. Back then infrared photography is what we used, for before pics to see where the major leaks were, then after to show the job we had done. We hired that out because the photo gear was expensive but today it is cheap.

Windows, doors, pipes and wires going into houses were the biggees.

Some of the houses had combined total cracks for air leaks that amounted to several square feet, it did an amazing job sealing everything up better.

Today any sort of cheap night vision gear, you should be able to walk around at night and just look at your house, the major air leaks and heat loss areas will stand out quite readily.

I personally feel our US "culture" is way more interested in just burning more whatever is used fuel (oil, propain, electric, wood, whatever) over addressing insulation. Bigger furnace or more efficient furnace, etc, or just changing heat source types over just retaining what heat ya got in the first place.

And this is because the big utility companies have no desire to sell you *less* of their product.

I have been giving this a lot of thought lately, to go with the "why do we waste so much wood" thread. With this winter being very snowy and very cold, I see so many houses with huge icicles hanging down and ice dams. If these homeowners only knew how much of their heating dollars it took to make those icicles and dams they would spend some on tightening up their homes. I have a construction company and advertised for people to spend some hard earned cash on new windows to help save on the heating bills. It worked as we sold and installed a lot of windows last summer, I'm hoping to do the same this summer. I have had customers tell me how nice and toasty their house is now. I need to figure out how to write an add to run while it's still on peoples minds. Sure, even if you heat with wood why would you want to have to work up more than you need? I wish I could explain to every homeowner where to spend the money. Attic down IMO. It's not just a matter of adding insulation either, ventilating and insulating go hand in hand.

 

[timbrjackrussel]

I have been giving this a lot of thought lately, to go with the "why do we waste so much wood" thread. With this winter being very snowy and very cold, I see so many houses with huge icicles hanging down and ice dams. If these homeowners only knew how much of their heating dollars it took to make those icicles and dams they would spend some on tightening up their homes. I have a construction company and advertised for people to spend some hard earned cash on new windows to help save on the heating bills. It worked as we sold and installed a lot of windows last summer, I'm hoping to do the same this summer. I have had customers tell me how nice and toasty their house is now. I need to figure out how to write an add to run while it's still on peoples minds. Sure, even if you heat with wood why would you want to have to work up more than you need? I wish I could explain to every homeowner where to spend the money. Attic down IMO. It's not just a matter of adding insulation either, ventilating and insulating go hand in hand.

Drive around your area and take pictures of the icicles on the houses. It may help to show these to the homeowner in the summer. Show a well insulated and vented attic to compare. No ice!
Can't hurt.