Why Might A Well-Insulated Home Still Feel Cold?

When advice is given to help you, as a homeowner, retain the heat you pay for, most talk about insulation. This is a good place to start, after all. If heat is escaping through your ceiling or walls because the insulation simply isn’t fit for purpose, then turning on any heating unit of any kind is wasted money. Insulation can also allow you to retain the internal temperature compared to the exterior, which is why it’s considered practical for intensive heatwaves during the summer, too.

That being said, if you’ve insulated your home far beyond the acceptable standard and still notice that your heating is dissipating more than you had expect, there could be issues worth addressing. Of course, you know and accept that sometimes cracking open a window or using your property without closing the doors to every single room is just part of living. But what about the systemic issues that can be so difficult to identify?

In this post, we’ll discuss that and more:

Window Sealants & Fittings

You might think your windows are great, and they could be, but unless you installed them perfectly there can be imperfections. Over time, the sealant around your window frames can wear down or crack, especially if your house has been through a few seasons of extreme weather. 

When that happens, tiny gaps open up, letting heat slip right out and cold air sneak in. It’s subtle, but enough to make a difference to your heating bills, and so checking if there are any draughts can help you figure out if you’re losing heat.

Garage Door Misalignment Or Disrepair

It’s worth taking a close look at your garage door and testing how well it seals when closed. From the inside, you can check for light leaking in around the edges. If you see gaps, that’s where your heat is going. In some cases, the rubber weatherstripping at the bottom of the door wears out and leaves a noticeable draft, so replacing that strip or having the alignment fixed is usually straightforward. 

We’d recommend using a garage door company you trust to attend to those replacements and repairs to solve the issue for good. Thankfully, modern garage doors often come with better insulation and sealing, which helps prevent energy loss. Even if you don’t heat your garage directly, keeping it well-sealed will almost certainly prevent the cold air from spilling into the rest of your house.

Open Ventilation Pathways

Sure, ventilation is necessary for any home, as it keeps the air fresh and prevents problems like dampness and mold. But vents, when not managed properly, can also allow heat to escape and you might not have thought about closing them after a hot summer. Sometimes it’s obvious, like a vent in a room that doesn’t need one. Other times, it’s harder to spot, like gaps in ductwork or vents that have been poorly installed. It’s worth walking through your home to identify where your vents are and deciding if they’re working for you or against you, perhaps they can be temporarily closed when heating or you can implement a newer HVAC system with better ductwork.

With this advice, we’re certain you’ll avoid losing heat even in your well-insulated home.