Simple Tips to Help You Locate Window Air Leaks

Do you feel any drafts near your window? Drafts from air leaks can make your home uncomfortable and increase your energy bills, which is why you need to deal with them as soon as possible. However, some air leaks are hard to detect. Today, Handyman Connection® of Novi will share some tips to help you find and seal these hard-to-detect air leaks:

Look for Obvious Causes of Air Leaks 

Carefully inspect your windows and look for damaged caulking and weatherstripping. You can also check if there are cracks and gaps in the frame where you can feel a draft. Open and close the window several times, checking each time if it seals tight. If needed, you can then caulk the window or replace the weatherstripping. This can stop the air leaks, but for best results, you can still follow the steps below.

Get Your Home Ready 

Shut all your windows, exterior doors, and fireplace flues. You also need to turn off the furnace and water heater. Then you need to turn on every exhaust fan you have to suck as much air out of your home as possible. Afterwards, air will begin to flow back into the house through the cracks and gaps in your home. You will use this moment to detect air leaks.

Find the Air Leaks 

You can use an incense stick or candle and bring it close to the window or any place where you suspect that there is an air leak. The smoke from the incense stick and the flame from the candle will waver if there is a leak. Try lightly dampening your hand as well. Your hand will feel cool near the source of a leak. Take note of the areas where this happens and re-inspect them.

These are just a few of the ways you can find window air leaks. If you want a thorough and accurate measurement of air leakage, then we suggest hiring a qualified technician to perform an energy audit.

If you’re planning this home improvement project, why not undertake other home improvement tasks at the same time? Handyman Connection of Novi can help you with carpentry, remodeling, painting, maintenance and other projects. Contact us or call us at (248) 255-4080 to learn more about detecting air leaks. You can also ask for an estimate.