The interior of your new house is perfectly done and you are all set to move in. But did you consider the benefits of air sealing your new home? Alternatively, if you are renovating your existing house, air sealing should be one of the most important tasks on your list.
Are you wondering why?
5 Benefits of Air Sealing Your New Home – Breath Healthy, Stay Happy
Essentially, air sealing means keeping your indoor air which is either warmed or cooled by your HVAC system, inside the house. And not allowing the outside air to enter your house.
1. Maintains the Air Quality in Your Home – Germ-Free and Dirt Free
When we talk about indoor air, it is not just about temperature. Undoubtedly, air sealing helps in maintaining indoor temperature. But there are various other aspects that you need to consider such as the humidity level, the concentration of pollutants, and the dust-carrying particles.
These are part of the wind that blows outside and will enter your house if you allow the external air to make its way inside.
Seal it to stop it!
By sealing the cracks and openings in your windows and doors, you can prevent these undesirable components of the air from getting in. This way you breathe in clean and safe air.
Also, it keeps your house free of pests, tiny worms, or other insects that can sneak through these small openings. Your house stays clean and warm/cool enough for you to love staying indoors.
2. Comfort Comes First
Sealing the joints and holes is particularly beneficial during winter. If your house is not airtight, you will surely experience drafts, and the inside environment will get uncomfortably cold. In summer, you will never get a cool enough house because the warm air will keep entering.
Also, your HVAC system will have to do extra work. The additional load on the thermostat will eventually increase the maintenance cost of the furnace and other parts of the system.
The smart move!
When you go for air sealing, you put a stop to air coming in as well as going out. This ensures that your house stays at a constant desirable temperature, which is comfortable for you – neither too hot nor too cold.
3. Reduced Utility Expense – Save Your Hard-Earned Money
With those gaps and holes around your house, all the warm wind that you are paying to heat up is escaping. Similarly, the cool air coming from your air conditioner in summer is leaving the house too.
Thus, it is not just wind blowing out of those cracks.
It is your cash seeping out too!
Lower utility cost is a major benefit of air sealing. If the warm air stays inside in winter, and none of the cold winds enter the house, you can turn the heating system off after the indoor temperature reaches a certain point. As a result, the temperature will stay constant for a longer duration and you will spend less on paying energy bills.
4. Build It Right, Keep It Strong
When there are gaps and holes in walls, doors, and even floors, warm air rushes out. Thereafter, when it gets in contact with cooler surfaces such as pipes it condenses and water droplets stay in the form of moisture.
Moisture kills!
It is not good for your house. It can cause mold growth. In addition to this, moisture has an adverse impact on concrete which has been used in the structural construction of your house.
Thus, the extra moisture will make your house less durable in the long run. It will weaken the basic elements, and you will have to spend a huge sum on maintenance in the long run.
By locking and sealing all such gaps and blocking the movement of air across these, you are making your house stay strong for many years to come.
5. Keep the Hustle Bustle Away
When you are trying to stop outside air from entering your home, you get the added benefit of keeping the noise outside too. A noisy neighbor’s car or kids playing in the backyard will not disturb you anymore.
Take care of your house the way it takes care of you!
And, surely, air sealing is a part of keeping your house safe and comfortable. Before you start air sealing you should be aware of the places that need the most attention.
Check it out!
Identify the leakage points by closely examining all the gaps, holes, and cracks that you previously never paid attention to.
The most popular areas of air leakage are:
- Attic
- Holes for plumbing and wiring
- Vents around lights
- Gaps around chimneys
- Doors and windows
- Flooring
There are various tests conducted by professionals to check your house for potential air leaks. The most widely used is the door blower test. It is advisable to get it done before moving to a new place.
You can also self-check by thoroughly checking all the joints where two surfaces are getting connected. Do not forget the spaces behind electrical switches too.
Another important step is to see if the existing caulking material is intact or has worn off with time. You should also check if your doors and windows are shutting down properly or not.
How Do You Seal These Gaps and Leaks?
The most popular way is air sealing with caulk. Weatherstripping is another technique used for the same purpose. But these methods differ in the places where they can be used. Caulking is more useful for corners and gaps which are immovable whereas weatherstripping is used for movable parts such as doors.
Conclusion
Thus, to reap the benefits of air sealing your new home, start right away, and inspect the potential leakage spots – either by yourself or by hiring a professional.
Your house is your comfort zone!
So, keep it warm/cool, free of pollutants, and save on energy bills. Most importantly, conserve energy and keep the environment safe.
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