Tips for Checking Your North Georgia Home for Air and Water Leaks Before Cooler Weather Arrives

Fall is just around the corner and with that will come cooler air. Now is the perfect time for North Georgia homeowners to make sure your home is properly sealed to keep cold air outside. Leaks can make it difficult to keep your home properly heated and can lead to higher than normal utility bills.

Tips to Check Your Home for Leaks Before Cooler Weather

• Test the Air Pressure – It isn’t difficult to identify places around your house where air may be coming in. Homeowners can check your home for leaks by closing all outside doors, windows, and vents. Also, be sure you turn off any exhaust fans that route air outside (including your air handler/HVAC system). Once the house is sealed, light a burning incense and pass it along the edges of all doors and windows. If the smoke gets forced into or away from an opening then you’ve found a leak.
• Visually Inspect all Doors and Windows -Check for leaks around windows by grabbing the window tight and try to rattle the frame. If there are gaps along the edge it should become apparent.  Also, check for cracks in the frame, loose screws in window hardware, or gaps around the window.
• Examine Door Hinges and Thresholds –  These are common places for outside air to leak into your home. This can often be fixed by simply replacing deteriorated weather stripping. Poor weather stripping around your door can create water leaks, so this is a critical area.
• Check Skylights – If your home has skylights they can be a little trickier to examine. You should check for water stains near your skylights, which is a dead giveaway of a leak. Typically where there is water leaking, there is also outside air coming in. If you suspect your skylight may be leaking, climb up on the roof for a closer inspection. Look for loose shingles around the trim edge of the skylight, as well as cracked roofing cement and caulking around the skylight or glass.

Don’t wait until it gets cold in North Georgia to make sure your house is ready. Take a few moments now to inspect your home and repair any deficiencies to make a real difference on this winter’s electric or gas bill.

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