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Cut a hole in the ceiling of first floor and cold air blows out?

Cut a hole in the ceiling of first floor and cold air blows out?


  #1  
Old 11-26-13, 07:31 AM
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Cut a hole in the ceiling of first floor and cold air blows out?

When Im referring to the ceiling, I mean the ceiling of our family room and living room, which are under our master and guest bedroom. We have a Basement, main floor, second floor, and full attic.

I know that all of the walls in our house are capped with 2 layers of 2x4's, and from what Ive seen so far none of our interior walls have any insulation. (House is only 3 years old.)

But as a new home owner installing a ceiling fan box in my family room, when I cut the hole in the ceiling I get a nice cold draft -caught me off guard.

Is this normal, or does it indicate a have an air leak somewhere? (Note its cold out - I live in MD)

Thanks!
 
  #2  
Old 11-26-13, 08:53 AM
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It's normal for interior walls to not be insulated although sometimes certain walls [like the bath rm] are insulated for sound.

While it's not my area of expertise, I would think the cold draft would indicate an air leak in either the insulation or vapor barrier. We have members that know a good bit about this and one or more of them should reply later with more info for you.
 
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Old 11-26-13, 09:34 AM
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You probably have air leaks. You can further confirm by feeling for the draft at the hole when the furnace is off and trying it on a windy day can make it easier to feel. Where the air infiltration is occurring can be a real bug hunt and where I find a thermal camera very helpful. They are expensive to buy but many tool rental and big box home centers have them available to rent.

Without knowing were the air leaks are you can do the usual air sealing tips like installing gaskets behind outlets, switches and light fixtures. Caulking around moldings & windows. Make sure all weather stripping at doors & windows is fitting properly and in good condition.
 
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Old 11-26-13, 09:44 AM
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Im assuming you are refering to all the outside outlets and lights.

I do have an IR temperature gun, would this be a help?
 
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Old 11-26-13, 11:45 AM
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Seal what you can both inside and outside. Foam gaskets or caulking around outside light fixtures can be the first line of defense then gaskets around your interior outlets & fixtures can help further block leaks.

An IR temp gun is better than nothing. You can aim up in the corners of rooms, ceilings & walls and see if you can locate an area that is cooler which could give you a clue as to where the air is entering. You can also hold a smoldering cigarette or incense stick held near outlets, windows and molding joints looking for the smoke to get blown. This just happens to be one task where thermal cameras excel and are truly the perfect tool for the job (if only they weren't so expensive). They let you quickly walk into a room, pear around and have a really good picture of what's going on as far as air leaks & gaps in insulation. Still, just going through and doing standard ail sealing tricks could get you the same result. The camera would save you from having to do the whole house and could point out just the problem areas.
 
 

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