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Finding Leakage Areas![]() Within This Page![]() How to Locate Air LeaksThe first step is to identify where the leaks occur. Air leaks where there is a hole in the building envelope and a pressure difference. In winter, the house tends to operate like a big, fat chimney. This means that air enters at lower levels and exits at the upper levels and ceiling. Identifying specific leakage areas can sometimes require a little detective work. You can do your own detective work by making a "leak detector" and using the checklist of leakage areas to locate those places where air is leaking. Leak DetectorAn easy way to locate air leaks is to make yourself a leak detector. All you need are incense sticks. Hold two or three together for more smoke and easier detection. Powerful leaks will cause the smoke to dissipate and the tips of the incense to glow. Slower leaks will cause the smoke to trail away or move toward the leak. On a cold day, check for drafts in all suspected areas. It is easier to locate air leaks on windy days. You'll be surprised to discover how many spots need to be sealed with caulking or weatherstripping. You should also check for possible leaks in interior walls and in other features of your house, such as fans, lighting fixtures and electrical outlets. Any direct route through partition walls or along floor joists to the outside should be sealed. Pressure TestProfessional air-sealing companies often use a depressurizing blower door test to identify and measure the air leaks in a house. A powerful fan is inserted in a doorway, and all intentional openings – windows, doors, chimneys and vents – are closed or sealed. The fan depressurizes the house, and leaks are easily identified where air rushes into the house. A professional blower door test can also determine the total leakage area in the house, the extent of the work required, the effectiveness of the work as indicated in a post-retrofit test, and indications of backdrafting and spillage problems. You can perform your own rudimentary blower door test by closing all windows and doors and turning on all the exhaust appliances in the house. These include bathroom and kitchen fans, clothes dryers (on cool cycle) and any portable fans placed in windows (if you can seal around them). Be careful during the test. Turn off the furnace and water heater (if fuel-fired) to prevent backdrafting caused by other exhausting devices. You can now go around the house with your leak detector and identify and mark the air-leakage locations that should be sealed. Checklist of Leakage AreasA few areas of the house deserve special attention, but don't limit your detective work to just these places. Inside the main living areas, check the following:
Warning: If you find older vermiculite insulation in your home, do not disturb it and consult the free Health Canada publication "It's Your Health – Vermiculite Insulation Containing Asbestos Inside the attic, check the following (you may have to move aside existing insulation):
Inside the basement, check the following:
We can tell you lots more about caulking and installing air and vapour barriers and about weatherstripping windows and doors. |
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