Hot, Cold & Drafty Rooms

When we build our houses we try to ensure that all the rooms are comfortable to live in. We make special provisions to make sure that rooms are cool in summer and warm in winter. And that there is enough sunlight and the room is airy enough. Sometimes certain rooms within the house may seem unusually hot or cold or very drafty. This can be caused due to a number of reasons. Here are some the reasons this might occur and tips on how to deal with them.

Cold Floors
If the floors feel too cold on bare feet then this maybe because of inadequate insulation or because of air permeation. This often happens in the basement, the floor over the garage or the floor over the crawlspace. You may have to fix the air sealing and insulation to reduce the chilly feeling from the floors. It is best to consult a heating and cooling contractor to inspect the heating and cooling system to find out whether the system is delivering adequate amount of air to each room. He should check all ducts to see if they are functioning properly.

Drafty Rooms
There is a cold draft room though the windows and doors are shut. This means that cold air is seeping into your house through gaps around doors and windows, electrical outlets. The cold air is seeping in displacing the warm air inside the house. Attics often have this problem. Hire a heating and cooling contractor to check the air sealing, check ducts for air leaks. If there is a fireplace in your house, keep the damper shut when the fireplace is not being used.

Hot or Cold Room
A particular room is considerably hotter or colder than the other rooms in the house. This may be because of a number of reasons like, insufficient insulation, air seepage, faulty duct system design, seepage in ducts, partial failure of heating or cooling system or due to directing heating by the sun in summer months. This problem normally occurs in the attic, basement or room over the garage. Hire a contractor who specializes in energy to do an evaluation of the house. He should thoroughly check the current heating and cooling system. Check ducts for air seepage. Seal air seepage and add insulation wherever necessary. If the sun is the reason that the room is getting hot install shades or screens.