Winter-proof your home during this cold snap

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Now that the temperature outside has dropped, you could be feeling a bit of a draft inside if you’re home isn’t properly insulated.

“Most of the leakage in the home is caused by what we call the stack effect. Warm air rises and you get the warm air accumulation on the upper floors and the cooler, low-pressure air coming inside. The colder it is, that stack effect increases so typically people feel the house being more drafty and cold because of that,” explains Doug Martin, a certified energy adviser with AmeriSpec.

“The pressure differential actually creates a natural vacuum in the home that pulls air in, so that cold air gets sucked in to the lower areas of the house.”

One way he suggests guarding against that is to minimize any cracks or other places are can get in. “Air sealing is all done from the interior of the house. It’s looking for basically anywhere there’s been cut-through into the drywall, the ceiling, the walls, the floors even,” says Martin.

Doors and windows are the more obvious culprits. “Operable windows are a particular culprit,” adds Martin. “Any window that swings out or slides up and down is going to be leakier than a fixed window so the window itself should be sealed to the interior.”

When it comes to finding some of the more minor leaks, Martin says, it’s actually relatively easy. “Turn the lights on at night and trace perimeter of the door and see where the light is shining through that indicates that it’s not sealing 100 per cent and that’s where you need to upgrade the weather stripping.”

And one of the most overlooked sources of draft is likely staring you right in the face. “There’s a lot of leakage through electrical outlets and light switches. You can go into the electrical department and buy these little, flat, spongy-foam gaskets that go in behind the faceplates of the switches.”

That will help seal those from cold air. You can also try plastic plugs for any sockets that aren’t in use.

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