At some point, every homeowner will experience cold or hot spots in their home—especially if they own an older home. And if a chilly draft is not taken care of when discovered, then that cold draft will simply turn into a hot draft come summer. Are you ready to take a stab at stopping draftiness? Start making a list of supplies you’ll need to get from local home improvement stores in Seattle, and pick up extra tools and materials to have on hand to fix future issues—including weather stripping, adhesives and caulk.
Here are four areas of your home that drafts can be coming in through:
- Windows: The windows installed in your home are prone to air leaks, whether they are brand new or a couple decades old. This can happen for many reasons: poor installation, a weak window frame, old age, damage, even expansion and contraction due to weather changes. If you’re lucky, you will only need to replace the weather seal or re-caulk around windows. Ask a team member at your nearby home improvement store for help gathering the supplies you’ll need in order to fix a damaged window seal.
- Skylights: Checking your skylight for drafts may be difficult, but don’t put it off, because you could have a bigger problem on your hands if you leave a drafty skylight unfixed: leaks when it rains. Skylights are installed in the ceiling leading out through the roof, so proper insulation around the frame is important. Otherwise, the slightest opening can let in outdoor air as well as moisture that can damage insulation materials.
- Doors: Like windows, exterior doors are prone to air leaks. Old weather stripping and expanding and contracting door frames are liable to cause drafts, which, if not taken care of, can be a big contributor to higher energy bills. This is because, when the elements sneak inside, you end up running the heater or air conditioner to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
- Electrical outlets: Did you know that drafts can come in through your home’s electrical outlets? This can happen if walls are not insulated properly or the outlet plate covers are the wrong fit. Try replacing covers with higher quality plates and use foam outlet plate sealers for extra insulation.
Ways to locate drafts
Since you cannot see a draft, you will want to run a quick test in potentially drafty rooms. First, move your hand along the frames of windows and around outlets and exterior doors in the room that’s experiencing draftiness. You are feeling for air breezes, not the temperature emanating through wood or glass. Another way to locate drafts is to light an incense cone—not a candle, because it’s a possible fire hazard—and hold it in front of the spot in question. If a draft is present, the smoke will move.
This fall and winter, rest assured that home improvement stores in Seattle will be stocked with all the tools and supplies you could ever need. The team of trained associates at Stewart Lumber & Hardware Co. is ready to help, so come on by today!