No matter how perfect a house may be, many little things can still cause problems. One excellent example of this is air leaks. Air leaks are usually caused by small gaps and cracks in the building or structure. These cracks and gaps can occur for several accidental and intentional reasons.

Air leaks are responsible for cold drafts, high electric bills, bad indoor air quality, and mould growth. The good thing is, there are solutions.

This article lists down how you can find air leaks in your home. Read on below to get started.

#1 – Keep an Eye on Areas Made of Different Materials

Different materials expand and contract at different rates, and it could cause one part of your home to separate from another. This means that there is an air leak between the two.

The most common areas where this occurs are in the walls that meet the floors or ceilings. The gap here is usually very small, so you may have to press your ear against the wall to tell if it’s a crack.

#2 – Conduct a Blower Door Test

When this test is performed, the pressure in the house is reduced to near 0.0 psi, or 0% of atmospheric pressure. If the house doesn’t leak air, the pressure inside will equal the pressure outside.

If your house doesn’t have any leaks, the pressure inside should equal the pressure outside. The test is usually performed throughout a couple of hours to ensure that the house doesn’t leak air.

#3 – Conduct a Smoke Test

If the blower door test doesn’t work, you could opt for a smoke test instead. The smoke test works by using smoke to find the holes, where it will form a chemical reaction with the oxygen in the air. The smoke will begin, then rise from the gap and rise to the ceiling, and you will be able to see where the leak is.

#4 – Use a Flashlight

This is a little more complicated method but still doable. To do this, you’ll need another person to stand outside the house, and you’ll wave the flashlight around while inside. The other person should identify holes and gaps from the outside of the house. Alternatively, if you think you can do it better, you can be the one outside to spot the leaks.

#5 – Use an Infrared Laster Thermometer

You can use an infrared laser thermometer to find heat leaks in your home. The heat leaks will often be in the same place as air leaks, so if your home doesn’t leak air, it’s most probably not going to spread heat.

#6 – Hire a Professional

The above methods are great if you want to save money, but if you’re after a quick and easy way to find air leaks, you’ll want to hire a professional. Many trained professionals are fully capable of finding air leaks in your home, so there’s no need to do it yourself.

What to Do about Air Leaks

Once you find an air leak, you’ll need to learn how to do something about it. There are several options.

Put on Insulation

If the air leak is only small and you can easily fix it with a bit of insulation, you should consider putting on some. You can go for spray insulation or opt for batts and rolls.

Seal It with Spray Foam

If you can’t put on insulation, you can use spray foam. It’s just the same as insulation, but this method is arguably better because it perfectly seals the air leak.

Repair It

If you can’t seal the air leaks, you can fix them instead. Repairing requires more skill, and you might need to consult someone who knows what they’re doing. But if you can manage, you’ll be able to save a fair amount of money in the long run.

Conclusion

Leaks cause many problems such as increased energy bills, mould development, and a home that’s either too hot or too cold. If you want to avoid these issues, you must find air leaks in your home as soon as possible, by any means necessary.

Quality Seal Australia provides top-quality caulking and sealing services in Brisbane. We understand that different homes have different needs, and our solutions are specifically tailored to ensure that leaks and other related issues will go away. Contact us today to learn more!