Sonja and Casey live in a beautiful 1928 home bursting with character in a historic La Crosse neighborhood. The only drawback? As an older home, it was very drafty and actually had a horsehair mat as its main form of insulation.

While the horsehair might sound unusual, dealing with a drafty house that has poor insulation and air leaks is nothing out of the ordinary. If you find yourself piling on the blankets, plugging in a space heater and trying to warm cold hands and feet, your home may be experiencing draftiness in the following areas:

• Attics and interior walls
• Electric outlets and light fixtures
• Windows and doors
• Furnace flues, duct chaseways and more

The simplest way to check for air leaks is with your hand. If it’s warm in your home but cold outside, hold your outstretched palm a few inches away from walls, windows and doors, and you should be able to feel larger drafts. But the most effective method to catch all leaks is to ask a professional.

Sonja and Casey contacted a FOCUS ON ENERGY® Trade Ally contractor for help, and you can, too. Our participating Trade Ally contractors will work with you to pinpoint where your home is losing valuable energy and comfort. Plus, you can earn incentives for qualified upgrades like new insulation and sealing up those leaks.

Fixing these problem spots now can help you maintain a more comfortable, healthy home all year round, reduce the burden on your heating and cooling system, and lower your energy costs.

See Sonja and Casey’s story for a closer look at how they solved their home’s issues. And find a Trade Ally contractor near you to get started on your next home improvement.