Stop air leaks in your home

Thermal image of an external door showing the large (dark blue) air leak at the door bottom and a smaller leak at the side. The dark blue around the panels of the door are due to the fact that the panels were routed out and are very thin in those locations.

Stopping air leaks in your home can help you save money on heating and cooling bills and increase your home's energy efficiency. Here are some ways to stop air leaks in your home:
1.     Identify the leaks: Check for air leaks around windows, doors, and vents.
2.     Caulk: Use caulk (no more gaps or similar) to seal any gaps or cracks around windows, doors, and other areas where air may be leaking in or out. Make sure the sealant is appropriate for the location (e.g. exterior, interior, wet area as appropriate)
3.     Weatherstripping: Install weatherstripping around doors and windows to prevent drafts. If using self-adhesive weatherstripping, choose one with a plastic backing (rather than paper) as they are much easier to apply. Raven weatherstripping has a plastic backing.
The problem with self-adhesive weatherstripping is that if the gap in the door or window frame is too small the weatherstripping gets over compressed, and the door or window won't close properly.
An alternative style is available from Ecomaster ecomasterstore.com.au/. They have a range of sealing options for different applications, which tend to work better than what is available at your local hardware store.
If you can't afford weatherstripping, at least get yourself a door snake for each outside door and for the room you spend most time in of an evening.
​4.     Seal air ducts: Make sure air ducts are sealed and insulated to prevent air from escaping. Assuming you have an attic roof, check your airconditioning ducts and if necessary use duct tape to seal them. Any leaks from the ducts are particularly significant as the air in the duct is either hot or cold and under pressure so you can lose a lot of heat. Furthermore this reduces the amount of air entering the room compromising your comfort. If there are problems that you can't rectify yourself it will probably be worth paying to rectifying them.

By following these tips, you can significantly reduce air leaks in your home, which can help lower your energy bills and make your home more comfortable.
Stopping air leaks in your home can improve comfort in several ways:

• First, by sealing air leaks, you can reduce drafts and cold spots in your home, which can make your living spaces more comfortable. Under door leaks are among the worst for this as in winter they exacerbate the cold feet, hot face syndrome that many people experience in their homes.
• Second, air leaks can allow outdoor pollutants, such as dust, pollen, and other allergens, to enter your home. By sealing air leaks, you can help reduce the amount of these pollutants that enter your home, which can improve indoor air quality and reduce allergy symptoms.
• Third, by reducing air leaks, you can help your heating and cooling systems work more efficiently, which can help maintain a more consistent and comfortable indoor temperature.

Overall, sealing air leaks in your home can help improve your comfort and quality of life.

If you are planning on doing more to reduce energy use, I suggest you consider creating a plan to ensure you achieve an optimum insulation level and consider what options you should do when. See Energy Audits.

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