When temperature drops, an unsealed home can cause your heating bills to skyrocket. Draft-proofing your living space keeps warm air inside and freezing wind outside.
Understanding where heat escapes is the key to maintaining energy efficiency all season long.
1. The Fireplace Flue: Your Home’s Hidden Heat Drain
An unsealed or malfunctioning chimney damper acts like an open window, allowing expensive heated indoor air to escape straight up the flue.
- Inspect your internal throat damper handle to ensure it closes completely.
- Upgrade to a top-sealing energy damper if your old metal plate is warped or rusted.
- Schedule a professional Fireplace Damper Repair to restore an airtight seal.
2. Sealing Exterior Masonry and Mortar Joints
Cracks in your chimney’s exterior brickwork allow cold air to penetrate your walls and degrade heating performance.
- Look for crumbling mortar or loose bricks on your chimney stack.
- Perform Chimney Tuck Pointing to fill gaps with durable, fresh mortar.
- Prevent cold air from seeping into surrounding attic framing.
3. Protecting Roofline Intersection Seals
Drafts and water leaks frequently develop where the chimney meets the roof.
- Inspect metal seals along the roofline for gaps or rust.
- Schedule a Chimney Metal Flashing Repair to stop wind driven leaks before freezing weather sets in.
