Three Ways to Detect Air Leaks at Home

Leaks in a home can increase heating costs significantly. Here is how to detect and fix gaps in your house.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, more than 50% of the energy use in homes is for heating and air conditioning. The figure will increase in your home if there are leaks. You may already know where air leakage occurs in places such as under the door and vents, but there could be less obvious areas.

Heating systems are usually one of the main reasons for calling in an emergency plumber in Orem, especially in colder months. But you don’t have to wait until you can’t take the cold anymore. Start by conducting a thorough assessment of your home to determine how and where air leakage occurs. There are many tests that you can conduct, and the best part is that not all of them require specialized equipment. Here are some ways to find air leaks by yourself:

Conduct a visual inspection

Spaces in or around fireplace dampers, attic hatches, electrical outlets, windows and door frames, baseboards, and cable and TV phone lines could be the main reason your house can’t retain heat. Look for gaps in these places in the interior of the house. If the problem originates from the exterior of the house, some of the most common places you should check are the space between sidings and chimney, corners of the house, and outdoor water faucets. Light passing through a crack in your wall or roof indicates an opening that contributes to heat loss.

Conduct a pressurization test

If you can’t detect leaks visually, you may want to conduct a pressurization test. Start by turning off furnaces, water heaters, and other combustion appliances. This should be followed by shutting all exterior doors, windows, and vents and turning off all appliances that have exhaust fans to blow air outside. Once you’ve closed down all areas that that can leak air, light up an incense stick and pass through areas you suspect to leak air. If smoke wavers or is sucked out of the room, then find the gap and have it sealed the right way.

Use a flashlight

Switch off all the lights inside your house. If it is during the day, shut all windows and doors so that the interior remains dark. Walk everywhere around the house checking for any signs of light streaming in. If you are conducting this test at night, have someone walk around the house with a flashlight. For the best results, you should be in coordination with the person outside.

It can take you more time to identify leaks if your house is big. To save some time, consider creating a list of common places where you can find air leaks in your home. Start with the basement and the attic. These areas usually have big gaps, which when closed can help save your heating costs significantly.

Finding and sealing gaps in the walls and roofs can be a difficult task. If you don’t have the time or skill, why not get in touch with a professional? Experts in this will always come with the best equipment and use their expertise to detect and seal even the tiniest gaps.

4 Tips for Selling your Home Fast

Placing your home on the market and waiting for it to sell can be a stressful time. You want to find a buyer as soon as possible to help you move on with your life. However, this may not be as easy as you’d hoped. You’ll likely want to work with a real estate agent to speed up this process. This professional can provide you with the following ideas to make a much faster sale.

1. Declutter your space

You’ll want to do a thorough cleaning of your home if you wish to find an interested buyer. Most people will want to put an offer on a property that’s neat and clean.

Taking time to declutter the living space is something you’ll always need to do, and this may mean having a garage sale. Placing an ad in the classified section about this event will allow you to have a better turnout and get rid of things you no longer use.

Additionally, doing a deep cleaning of your property before showing it to potential buyers is vital to getting it sold in less time.

2. Hire a professional photographer

Taking numerous pictures of your property when listing it online can be a great way to reduce the time it sits on the market. You’ll want to rely on a professional photographer that has the right skill set to do a job of this magnitude.

You’ll want to get a shot of each room inside of your home. Another great idea is to take several photos of the exterior of your property and the lot you have it on, as well.

Of course, taking the time to do some minor landscaping is an excellent idea to ensure the outside of your house looks attractive. Simply mowing the lawn and putting some blooming flowers in the garden can be helpful.

Studies indicate that homes that have many photographs may sell as much as 32% faster, and this is reason enough to hire a professional.

3.  Stage your property

Adding a few interior design touches may be the key to finding a buyer in the least amount of time. You can do several things on your own, such as purchasing rugs and pictures to hang for a better look. You'll likely be able to sell house fast in California when you stage your home.

Another good idea that may decrease the selling time is by staging your property. Renting furniture for your living area and other spaces in your home can make it look much more appealing.

The average price for staging a home is about $1800, and this is something you’ll want to budget for beforehand.

4. List it at the right price

Naturally, you want to get the best price possible for your home. However, you’ll want to avoid an asking price that’s too high because this may turn away interested buyers.

Relying on the assistance of a professional agent can enable you to know the right asking price for your property. Keep in mind that it’s much better to lower this amount rather than to increase it over time.

By making the right moves, you can ensure your home isn’t on the market for too long. You’ll need to be proactive and not simply let things happen without being in charge. It’s always in your best interest to work with an agent who will guide you through the home-selling process. Finding the right buyer may happen much sooner rather than later when you do so.