When well prepared to face cold, a house becomes a confortable and economical refuge during winter.  By preventing cold air from penetrating and by eliminating the heat losses, you can reduce your heating bill and improve your comfort.
On a typical energy bill, we can attribute a loss of up to 700$ to a house whose envelop is not airtight.  Therefore it is important to think "airtight" if you wish to reduce the heating costs.
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Heating Costs
Leaks & air infiltrations
The Good Solution

Where Does Air Infiltrations Come From?

Someone has to take the blame. In cases of leaks and air infiltration, each of the following is guilty as charged:

•  Doors: frame, sides, bottom, threshold
•  Windows and patio-doors
•  Garage
•  Air conditioner and air vents
•  Electric outlets and switches
•  Hatches and ceiling lights
•  Joints between baseboard and floor
•  Unsealed wall openings for technical installations
•  And every little leak we easily forget.

You must inspect these strategic points in order to make your house as air tight as possible. The more you seal, the more you save, the more you enjoy. Sealing and weatherstripping can help you take care of these problems at a very low cost.

 

Learn How to Detect Air Infiltration

Slowly move a lit candle or incense stick around your windows and doors as well as along the meeting joint between walls, floors and ceilings all around the house. If the flame flickers, that's an air leak. This simple method will give you indications as to what you have to do and where you have to do it. To help you locate the leaks better, turn on every air removal units in the house (range hood, dryer, central vacuum system, bathroom fan). Watch for the flexibility and quality of existing weatherstripping and replace any damaged product.  

To check on the air tightness of your garage door, open the light at night, close the door and inspect it from the outside. If you see light around the door, you have leaks.