Find Every Air Leak in Your House for $0 (8 Free Methods), by Samuel Hart on YouTube. 11 min 41 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 41 s
- Time to do it
- 1 to 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Wet the back of your hand and hold it close to a suspect gap on a cold, windy day. A cool spot on your skin means air is moving through.
Close the attic hatch and run your wet hand around the frame and the hatch edges. Drafts here are common because the hatch is rarely sealed well.
In the basement, check the sill band, the wood rim where the floor frame meets the foundation. Feel along it for cold air coming in.
Hold your hand near outlets and switches on outside walls. With the power switched off, you can fit foam gaskets behind the cover plates.
Close a door on a dollar bill so half hangs outside, then pull the bill. If it slides free with no drag, the weatherstripping is not sealing.
Check where pipes, wires and cables pass through walls, floors and ceilings. Feel around each hole for a draft and add it to your list.
Look at the vent flaps on bath fans, range hoods and the dryer. Confirm they open and close freely, and never seal these shut.
Check windows last, at the locks and along the sash edges. Before you seal anything, make sure gas and oil appliances still get enough air.
Write every leak on a list by room and seal the worst ones first this weekend. Tackle the attic hatch and sill band before the smaller gaps.
Tips and common mistakes
Test on a cold, windy day, when the pressure difference makes drafts easiest to feel.
Never block flues, combustion air vents or the air supply to a gas or oil boiler, stove or fire.
A tissue held near a gap works as well as a wet hand and shows a small draft more clearly.
If you are unsure whether your appliances get enough air, stop and book a professional blower door test.
Questions
Do I need an energy audit to find air leaks?
No. A wet hand, a tissue and a dollar bill will find the main drafts for free. A professional blower door test still gives a fuller picture of the whole house.
Which vents must I never seal?
Never seal flues, combustion air vents, bath fan and dryer vent flaps, or the air supply to gas and oil appliances. Blocking them can be dangerous.
How much can air sealing save?
Savings vary by home, climate and fuel type, so treat any figure as an estimate. Sealing the worst leaks first gives the biggest gain.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
