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Question: This past winter when we had torrential rain and gusty wind I sensed a draft in my house although the heat was on and a fire was going in the living room fire place. What would cause this to happen and what can I do about it?
Answer: The problem is probably poor insulation. Air leakage can come from many parts of a house. Although most commonly thought of as the entry points of air only 10-15% is through windows and doors. The greatest areas of leakage are around the top of the foundation and around penetrations into the attic.
There are many things you can do to reduce air leakage in your home. However, keep in mind that a professional with the proper training and equipment is best suited to pinpoint it and to identify and deal with combustion safety problems. The use of a blower door, a large powerful variable-speed fan mounted in a doorway that blows air into (pressurizes) or sucks air out of (depressurizes) a building used for testing, can make locating and sealing air leaks much easier.
In addition to warmth, a home insulated in the right manner can provide other benefits. Would you like to save 30 - 40% on your heating and cooling costs?
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