A drafty house can be cold and uncomfortable, and it is almost certainly costing you more in energy costs than you need to pay. Sealing cracks that let in drafts can save you as much as 25% on your energy bills and often is not a very expensive proposition.


Energy Audit: The first step in fixing drafts is discovering where the biggest drafts are coming from. You can do this with an energy audit. Auditors from an HVAC company or a local utility company will study your house and give you recommendations on how to improve its energy efficiency. Most auditors will do a blower test in which they cover one door with a fan that sucks air out of the house. The blower door lowers the air pressure in the house, causing fresh air to leak in wherever gaps exist. The auditor can use an infrared camera to detect these temperature changes or a smoke stick that will demonstrate any breezes. Auditors may also use a pressure gauge to measure air pressure changes or a duct blaster to measure duct leaks in a forced air system.


Caulking: If an audit reveals a lot of leaks around windows and door frames, the next step may be caulking. Caulk is inexpensive and is easy to apply around windows and doors. However, don’t neglect other areas that could use caulk such as around the dryer vent, pipe outlets, electrical and gas service entrances, window air conditioners, and foundation walls. Be sure to use caulk that is designed for the particular area you are caulking, and choose modern, high-quality caulk that will last a long time. Some areas may do better with weather stripping than caulk. You can get weather stripping that is specifically designed for doors, windows, attic hatches, doors to an attached garage, and overhead garage doors.


Insulation: An infrared camera used during an energy audit can tell you which parts of the walls need insulation. Older homes may have spotty insulation, or no insulation at all. If you have no insulation or inadequate insulation, you probably can add it easily to your attic and maybe to the basement. However, unless you’re remodeling your home, it can be difficult to add insulation to existing walls. The best way is to drill small holes and blow in insulation that will expand to fill in all the crevices.


Even if an exterior wall does have insulation, it may have settled over and around windows, allowing a lot of heat to escape from those areas. Other problematic areas are around doors and exterior light switches or sockets. There are sealers that are designed specifically to seal behind outlets and switch plates. Even if you have insulation it can settle, leaving you with gaps in between the tops and bottoms of studs. This is why foam insulation may be necessary even when walls have been insulated.