The 5 Places Salt Lake Homes Lose Heat First
Your thermostat says 70°.
Your feet say, “Absolutely not.”
Sound familiar?
As we head into fall, it's a good time to figure out why one room in your house feels perfectly comfortable while another feels like you've accidentally wandered into the garage.
And in Salt Lake City, where we have plenty of older homes, there are a few places worth checking before you simply turn up the thermostat.
1. Exterior doors
That little gap around your front or back door might not look like much, but drafts can make a room feel noticeably colder.
Close the door and look for daylight around the edges. If you can feel a draft, your weatherstripping or door sweep may need some attention.
2. Basement windows
Basements can be naturally cooler, but drafty or poorly sealed windows can make them even colder.
Check around the frames for noticeable drafts or gaps.
3. The attic access
Here's one many people forget.
Your attic hatch or access panel can be a surprisingly easy place for heated air to escape if it's not properly sealed or insulated.
You don't have to climb into the attic to start checking. Take a look at the access panel itself and see whether it appears properly sealed.
4. Outlets and switches on exterior walls
This is one of those little things you might never think about.
Electrical boxes located on exterior walls can be a source of drafts in some homes, particularly older ones.
If an outlet feels unusually cold or you notice air movement around it, it's worth having it checked.
5. Rooms over garages
Ever notice that the bedroom above the garage is always colder than the rest of the house?
You're not imagining it.
Rooms above garages can be more difficult to keep comfortable because the garage below isn't conditioned like the rest of the house.
Here's the Home Hack:
Don't automatically turn up the heat. Find the draft first.
Walk through your house on a cool day and pay attention to the rooms that feel different. Check doors, windows, exterior walls, and areas above garages or additions.
Sometimes the solution isn't “more heat.”
Sometimes you're just paying to heat the outdoors.
That's your Hump Day Home Hack.
Download your free printable PDF below!
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