How Do You Find Drafty Windows & Doors?
Did your heating or cooling bill jump dramatically? Air may be escaping through small openings in your windows and doors. Typical homes lose about 11 percent of their air through doors and 10 percent through windows. Following these steps will help you find those drafty windows and doors, and might cut your utility costs. Step 1 Use visual clues. Look for ripped, torn or worn-out weather seals around windows and doors. Check for sunlight peeking through the tops, bottoms, and sides of windows and doors. Turn off ceiling fans, heaters, and coolers and look for moving curtains. Light a candle, match, or lighter and place around the edges of doors and windows. Drafts will blow out the flame and cause the smoke to move away from or toward the leak. Any or all of these visual clues indicate air loss. Step 2 Use auditory clues. On a windy day, make your house as quiet as possible by turning off TVs, radios, and loud appliances. Get close to all doors and windows and listen for a whistling so
