If your heating system is running, but you still feel chilly in your home, there’s a problem. While your first thought might be your furnace, the issue often lies elsewhere in your home’s insulation, air sealing, or crawlspace condition.
Today, we’ll explore the top five reasons why your home isn’t staying warm and what you can do to fix it.
1. You Need Better Attic or Crawlspace Insulation
Your home’s insulation acts as a barrier against heat loss. In the winter, it keeps warm air inside, and in the summer, it blocks heat from getting in. If you’re still feeling cold despite your heating system running, your home may be underinsulated or have old, ineffective insulation that needs to be replaced.
Common signs of poor insulation include:
- Cold floors, walls, and ceilings
- Uneven temperatures between rooms
- Skyrocketing energy bills in winter
Dense Pack Cellulose: An Effective and Sustainable Insulation Option
One of the best ways to upgrade your home’s insulation is with dense pack cellulose. This high-performance insulation is ideal for retrofitting attics, walls, and floors, filling gaps, and stopping drafts better than traditional fiberglass.
Spray Foam Insulation: Insulate and Air Seal in One
Unlike traditional insulation materials, spray foam expands upon application, filling gaps, cracks, and hard-to-reach areas to create a seamless thermal barrier. It not only prevents heat loss but also acts as an air and moisture barrier, helping to reduce drafts and improve indoor air quality. Spray foam is particularly effective for attics, crawlspaces, and rim joists, where air leakage is most common. If your home has significant air leaks or moisture issues, upgrading to spray foam insulation can provide long-term energy savings and improved year-round comfort.
2. Your Home is Leaky (You Need Air Sealing & Crawlspace Encapsulation)
Even the best insulation won’t be fully effective if your home is full of air leaks. Small cracks and gaps in your attic, basement, and crawlspace allow warm air to escape and cold air to seep in. This not only makes your home uncomfortable but also drives up your heating costs.
Air sealing is a critical step in improving home efficiency. By sealing leaks around attics, windows, doors, and crawlspaces, you create a more airtight and energy-efficient home.
The Dirty Crawlspace: A Hidden Source of Cold Air
If your home has a crawlspace, it may be a major source of heat loss. Crawlspace encapsulation involves sealing the area with a vapor barrier for waterproofing, insulating the walls, and preventing humidity buildup. This not only improves comfort but also indoor air quality, prevents mold growth, and protects your home’s foundation.
3. Your Windows Are Inefficient
Windows play a crucial role in keeping your home comfortable, but if they’re poorly sealed, or single-pane, they could be letting out as much warm air as your walls and attic. Drafty windows allow heat to escape, making your home feel colder and forcing your heating system to work harder. If you notice condensation between panes, cold drafts near windows, or an overall chill in rooms with large windows, it may be time to upgrade to energy-efficient windows. In some cases, air sealing around window frames or adding storm windows and thermal curtains can improve insulation and reduce drafts. A home energy audit can pinpoint air leaks around windows and recommend cost-effective solutions to keep the heat inside where it belongs.
4. Your Ductwork is Leaky
If you rely on a forced-air heating system like a furnace or ducted heat pump, leaky ductwork could be the reason your home isn’t staying warm. Over time, gaps, cracks, and poor connections in your duct system allow heated air to escape into unconditioned spaces like your attic, basement, or crawlspace—wasting energy and making certain rooms feel colder than others. In fact, up to 30% of heated air can be lost through leaky ducts, forcing your heating system to work harder and increasing your energy bills. Professional duct sealing can prevent air leaks, improve airflow, and help your heating system distribute warm air evenly throughout your home.
5. Your Furnace Needs Repair or Maintenance
If you’ve ruled out insulation and air sealing as issues, your furnace or heat pump may not be working efficiently. A home energy audit can determine whether your heating system needs servicing or if a newer, high-efficiency heat pump could provide better comfort and energy savings.
Schedule a Home Energy Audit for a Warmer, More Efficient Home
Still not sure why your home isn’t staying warm? A home energy audit takes the guesswork out of home upgrades! Using tools like blower door testing and infrared imaging, our experts pinpoint exactly where your home is losing heat and recommend solutions, such as:
✅ Dense pack cellulose insulation for attics and walls
✅ Insulation removal & replacement for outdated materials
✅ Air sealing to stop heat loss and drafts
✅ Crawlspace encapsulation for better moisture and temperature control
