5 Problems That Cause Uncomfortable Homes

These are 5 problem house assemblies that cause homes to be uncomfortable.  The list begins with the worst and most common problems for your home.  None of these situations are good, but they can all be fixed!  Your Dr. Energy Saver professional from Woods Basement Systems can explain the fixes to you in detail when we evaluate your home.

1. Ducts or air handlers in the attic

Millions of homes are built this way, but it is not a good idea at all.  The reason builders put the ducts in the attic is because there’s enough space to put them and access all the rooms.  The problem is, a typical vented attic gets freezing cold in the winter and extremely hot in the summer.  The temperature difference between your home and the attic is huge, which creates numerous problems including air leakage and condensation.

2. Too much air leakage into and out of the house

Hot air rises and leaks out of the top of your home, while cold air is sucked in at the bottom to replace the air that was lost.  This is known as “The Stack Effect,” and it can cause all kinds of discomfort in your home.  It’s important to know which leaks to seal for your home to be more energy efficient.

3. Vented or dirt crawl spaces

If your crawl space has a dirt floor, moisture evaporates up from the dirt in a never ending stream.  And if you have vents that are open to the outside freezing air in the winter, that causes your floors of your first level to be cold.  When it’s hot and humid outside, those vents cause condensation, which can lead to rot and mold.

4. Kneewall spaces

A kneewall space is a triangular space formed when a room is built under a roof.  This small space is often used for storage and is usually vented to the outside.  This results in a lot of air leakage and extreme hot/cold temperatures (depending on the weather outside), which affects the amount of energy your home uses. 

5. Insulation and drywall not touching

When the insulation isn’t actually touching what you want to insulate, it’s not going to do much good.  Think of it this way—if it’s chilly outside, you grab a jacket, but instead of putting it on, you just hold it out in front of you.  This is common in attics and walls, especially in homes with intricate framing details to make the house look less boxy.S

Obviously, there is much more detail to each of these problems, but the important thing is that you are aware of what is making your home uncomfortable.  Woods Basement Systems can help with this by having a Dr. Energy Saver professional come to your home for an evaluation of where you could be saving energy—and money!