Holes, Drafts and Leaks - Oh My!

We've all typically been privy to the little factoid that if you combined all the leaks, air escapes, and holes in your home/apartment that the total size would be of similar size to a garbage can lid.  Just imagine all the air escaping out of a 2 foot circular hole in your roof?!?  "Yikes" we all think and carry on with our day.

After years of hearing about this illusive "hole" in our home some dwellers will continue on as if there is nothing that can be done to rectify this.  To the rescue - Green Realtor and Blogger!

I'm sure a lot of this is going to be common sense and you're going to glaze over reading this like it's a text book in first year University but bare with me.  I've done some research and will try and give you some unconventional suggestions in terms of finding drafts, leaks, and sealing them for a cozy Winter.

A trade secret on finding those pesky, tiny, invisible leaks in your dwelling is to wander around with a few incense sticks burning to see where the smoke leaves the home.  To do this you need to turn of all exhaust fans in the home and shut all doors and windows.  This is much easier, and more cost effective, than hiring an energy efficiency expert to "Blower Test" your home (depressurize and find air leaks).

Windows and doors are obviously large culprits in air leakage and heat loss in Winter months.  Another over the counter test to check air seals is to close a piece of paper in a window or door.  If you can take that piece of paper out without ripping it you are losing heat from that location.

Winnipeg, being a price conscious city, can sometimes be difficult to motivate in pro-active spending.  For this reason the best places to start in helping air seal a home are the easiest and cheapest.

Armed with your incense stick and caulking gun from Home Depot you can spend a short time in an afternoon sealing the overlooked leaks - around vents, windows, doors, electrical/cable/service entrances, light fixtures, bath and kitchen fixtures, and any other draft points you find.  Making sure to scrape off old paint and caulking from these areas before you re-caulk.

Here's an even easier suggestion - purchase Outlet Wall Plate Sealers to go underneath your wall outlet plug covers.  There is a lot of heat lost in the Winter through every wall outlet in your home - off the top of your head count how many you have in your home.  It's a lot I'm sure!!  It all adds up to allowing more and more heat to escape.  A pack of 6 sells for approximately $4.  All it takes is a bit of time and a screwdriver to get started.

Stay tuned for more suggestions on helping cool down those heating costs.

For those who have read my other blogs an update:

Indoor electrical compost is still going strong!  After another few weeks I have another complete bucket of compost soil!

Thanks for reading!  Keep warm Winnipeg!

Amber van den Broek
Green Realtor Reality Check

xoxo