Sealing your home against air leakage is one of the simplest upgrades you can undertake to increase your comfort while reducing your energy bills and carbon emissions by up to 25%.
Air leakage accounts for 15−25% of winter heat loss in buildings and can contribute to a significant loss of coolness in climates where air conditioners are used. Tight sealing and increased insulation levels, however, can also create problems with condensation and indoor air quality. Understanding how condensation works and in which climates it is more likely to occur helps you limit its impact.
Air typically leaks through:
▪ unsealed or poorly sealed doors and windows
▪ the poor design or omission of airlocks
▪ unsealed vents, skylights and exhaust fans
▪ gaps in or around ceiling insulation and around ceiling penetrations (e.g. downlights, pipes and cables)
▪ gaps around wall penetrations (e.g. pipes, conduits, power outlets, switches, air conditioners and heaters)
▪ gaps between envelope element junctions (e.g. floor−wall or wall−ceiling)
▪ poorly fitted or shrunken floorboards.
