I went down the dense-pack cellulose rabbit hole last winter after getting tired of cold spots in my living room. Honestly, it helped more than I expected, especially in the exterior walls where there was basically nothing but old lath and plaster. The tricky part was finding someone who actually knew how to do it right—had to call around a bit and ended up with a smaller local crew who really knew these old houses.
One thing I learned: even with cellulose, if you’ve got gaps around outlets or at the top plates, air still sneaks through. I used foam gaskets behind my outlet covers and sealed up some weird little holes in closets that went straight into the attic... didn’t even realize those were there until I started poking around.
For the attic hatch, I built a little foam box cover out of rigid insulation and weatherstripped the edges. It made a noticeable difference—no more icy draft every time I walk by. Has anyone here tried those infrared cameras to find leaks? Wondering if it’s worth borrowing one before tackling another round of sealing.
I get the temptation with those infrared cameras—feels high-tech and all, but honestly, I skipped it and just used the ol’ hand test and a cheap incense stick. Wave it around outlets, baseboards, attic hatches... if the smoke goes wild, you’ve got a leak. Not as flashy as a camera, but it cost me like $2 and a laugh when my kid thought the house was haunted. Sometimes low-tech gets you 90% of the way for next to nothing.
Sometimes low-tech gets you 90% of the way for next to nothing.
I hear you—nothing wrong with a little DIY detective work. I’ve used the incense trick plenty, especially on older homes. That said, when I’m checking for ice dam trouble up here in Minnesota, I still trust a good flashlight and a ladder more than any gadget. You’d be surprised how much you can spot just by looking at the soffit vents and gutters after a freeze. If you see those big icicles forming, there’s your sign. Sometimes the “fancy” tools just confirm what your gut already knows.
I get the whole “trust your eyes” thing, but I gotta admit, I’m a little more paranoid after last winter. Thought I was being clever just eyeballing the icicles and checking the attic for frost, but turns out I missed a slow leak that only showed up when the snow melted. Ended up with a soggy patch in the ceiling—lesson learned.
Ever tried one of those infrared thermometers? I know, sounds a bit overkill, but they’re not as pricey as you’d think. Caught a cold spot near my chimney that I never would’ve noticed otherwise. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes my “gut” is too busy thinking about lunch to notice what’s going on above my head.
Not saying gadgets are always better, but for someone who’s still learning the ropes (literally), a little tech backup doesn’t hurt. Anyone else ever get burned by trusting their instincts too much?
I hear you on the “gut check” not always being enough. I used to just look for obvious stuff—big icicles, weird frost lines, that sort of thing. Figured if nothing looked off, I was in the clear. Well, last February proved me wrong. We had a couple of those freeze-thaw cycles and I didn’t notice a patch of ice damming up behind the gutters. Water found its way under the shingles and dripped right into my bathroom vent. Didn’t spot it until I saw a brown ring on the ceiling... and by then it was too late for an easy fix.
Picked up one of those cheap infrared thermometers after that mess, mostly out of frustration. Was surprised how much they actually show—found a cold draft near my attic hatch that I’d never have caught otherwise. It’s not perfect (sometimes you get weird readings if you’re pointing at metal or shiny stuff), but it’s definitely better than just guessing.
I still trust my instincts for some things—like when you can literally feel a draft or see water stains—but I’m with you, sometimes tech is worth the hassle. Especially when you’re dealing with older houses where nothing is quite square or standard.
One thing I learned: don’t ignore little things like tiny icicles or faint frost lines. Last year, I thought “eh, no big deal,” but turns out that’s where the trouble started. Now I do a quick walkaround after every storm and use the thermometer if anything looks even slightly off.
Not saying gadgets solve everything, but they’ve saved me from more headaches than they’ve caused. And yeah, sometimes my “gut” is just hoping there’s leftover pizza in the fridge instead of worrying about what’s going on in the attic...