Drafty Doors & Windows? Here’s How to Fix It

Common Issues with Underperforming Windows, Doors, and Home Insulation

A drafty house isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s costly, too.

When air escapes from your home through the nooks, cracks, and crannies in your windows and walls, you’re losing expensive energy along with it. It’s almost like you’re paying to heat or cool the outdoors – and that’s a losing battle!

The average home loses 30% of its energy to air leaks.

Unfortunately, these air leaks are quite common in Colorado homes… especially older ones. Even brand-new homes can underperform. Windows and doors are common culprits.

Whether you already know for a fact that you’re losing air or you’re simply suspicious (and determined to get your monthly energy bill down), investigating energy leaks is well worth your time.

But how do you find them? And once a leak is confirmed, how do you solve it?

Professional solutions are the most effective, and we’ll walk you through some of those (including the ones we offer as a leading and experienced Denver home energy efficiency company). We’ll also give you some handy at-home tips to help you get started with a preliminary, do-it-yourself spot check.

What to Look For

It is impossible to spot every home air leak with the naked eye. In fact, some of the most costly leaks are found only through professional testing.

Still, if you already know you have heat leaking out of windows and doors (or at least somewhere in your house), it’s only natural that you’d want to take a cursory glance with your own eyes.

Here are the places you want to check:

• Open areas around recessed lights
• Gaps around chimney flues and other chimney openings (be very careful not to create a fire hazard)
• Attics (including the attic access door)
• Gaps in your basement foundation that sit above soil level
• Outdoor water faucets
• Any area on the outside of your home where two different building materials meet
• Air conditioning units mounted in a window or wall
• Any electrical, cable, or telephone wiring that passes through a wall (again, be careful of electrocution and/or fire hazards)
• Interior baseboards
• Mail slots/doggy doors
• Foundation seals
• Gaps around pipes that pass through walls

These are only a few of the many potential problem areas in a home. Of course, windows and doors are by far the most common sources of air leakage, so you’ll want to inspect those with an eagle’s eye.

Getting Serious About the Problem: Scheduling a Home Energy Audit

The best way to pinpoint precisely where your house is losing all its heat and energy is simply to schedule a professional home energy audit.

These audits are easy and non-intrusive, and they can make a world of difference in your daily comfort and monthly budget. At REenergizeCO, we’ve helped countless Colorado families make their houses into better homes with a comprehensive home energy audit.

Find out what to look for in a home energy company, and then take your next step by deciding to leak-proof your house once and for all.

Get Started with a Warmer, Greener, More Affordable Home Today

From visual inspections to building pressurization tests, blower door tests, infrared tests, thermal audits, and more, there is so much we can do in a simple two-hour visit to your home.

Our home improvement services include energy-efficient home insulation installation in Denver, spray foam for attics and crawl spaces, and much more.

Stop wasting money on heat and energy that literally fly right out the door. Take your next step into 21st-century living. Contact REenergizeCO and ask how we can help you affordably achieve home energy efficiency in Denver and beyond.