kaih36•1mo ago

Took me 11 months to fix my home draft problem, finally did it

I moved into a 1970s house in Portland last year and the living room was freezing no matter what I set the thermostat to. I tried caulking around the windows and adding door sweeps, but the cold air kept coming in. It wasn't until I borrowed a thermal camera from a friend that I found the real culprit, an uninsulated gap where the old chimney pipe met the ceiling. Sealing that one spot with spray foam and fire-resistant caulk cut my heating bill by about $35 a month. I spent way too long guessing instead of just getting the right tool early. Has anyone else found a hidden leak that took forever to track down?

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1 Comment

susan_wright341mo ago

Maybe you overthink this. Most draft problems are just windows and doors. You said you fixed those first and it wasn't enough, so sure, you found something. But $35 a month is nothing. That's like one dinner out. You spent 11 months obsessing over a minor leak when you could have just thrown a rug on the floor and called it a day. Also, thermal cameras are expensive to rent or borrow. Most folks don't have a friend with one handy. Telling people to find the right tool early sounds good, but it's not practical for everyone. Sometimes guessing works fine. Plus, spray foam and fire caulk can trap moisture if you do it wrong. Old houses need to breathe. You might have just traded a draft for a mold problem down the road. Time will tell. Sealing gaps is fine, but 11 months of frustration for thirty five bucks a month? That's a hobby, not a fix. Move on and enjoy the room.