CENTRAL ATLANTA Blog

Stop! Don't spend time to caulk the windows.

Many of our customers ask us about caulking their windows and weatherstripping the doors. Most think this is a good idea, and it is, but there are other areas where you should focus first that will give you a bigger return on your time and effort.

Air Leakage 

The main reason is that caulking and weatherstripping aren’t going to help a whole lot. I been in a ton of homes doing inspections and most attics have big holes in the attic floor. I’ve seen open chases that go from the attic to the condition / living space below. These chases are designed to allow vents from different systems to vent to the outside, which is a good thing, however these holes need to be sealed up.

Stack Effect

The first thing to understand is air leakage and stack effect. Warm air rises inside your home because it’s less dense than cold air. Because of the different air densities, you end up with different pressures in the house. Air leakage occurs when you have a pressure difference and a pathway, so you’ll get a lot more air leaking at the bottom and the top of the house than you do in the middle. I’m sure that you’ve experience stack effect and didn’t even realize it. When you enter a high rise building in the wintertime you can feel the cold air rushing into the building. Tall buildings have revolving doors to break the stack effect and allow you to enter the building because it would be very difficult to open a traditional door.  The stack effect increases with building height and temperature differences between the inside and out and the same is true for our homes.

Air leakage is one of the biggest problems with homes, so it’s absolutely worth the time and effort to go after it. However, focus on the big leaks at the top and bottom first. You will stop a lot more air leakage by fixing them first. Also, don’t forget one tiny bit of the uninsulated area in your attic – pulldown attic stairs. Make sure that you address this breach with a stairway insulator.

The team at Koala Insulation of Central Atlanta is here to help you make your home more comfort and save you money. We will do a free inspection and come up with a plan that meets your objectives and budget. 

Contact your us at (404) 994-1287 or visit our website at Koala Insulation of Central Atlanta  to schedule a free evaluation.