An Explanation of What Is The Stack Effect and What Its Implications Are for Your House
The amount of air that flows into and around your home can have a significant impact on both the air’s quality and its ability to be kept at the desired temperature. If you are able to exert more control over the airflow in your home, not only will you be able to save money on your monthly utility bills, but the air quality will also improve.
What exactly is meant by the Stack Effect?
The stack effect refers to the natural vertical flow of air that occurs throughout a house. It is also what allows a fire to start in a fireplace by drawing air in, assisting the flames in becoming active, and then forcing the air up and out of the chimney. Unfortunately, the stack effect in your home can also cause a number of phenomena that you do not want to experience.
In the winter, cold air can get into the basement or crawl space of your home through any cracks or vents that are left open. When the air inside your home warms up, it rises to the rest of the space, and as it does so, it finds its way out of the house through crevices in the walls and the attic. Any loss of heat results in an increase in the amount of work that must be done by the furnace, which in turn leads to higher utility bills. Additionally, the airflow caused by the stack effect carries allergens and mold with it, transporting it from your basement or crawl space into the living areas on the upper floors of your home.
The basement or crawl space acts as a heat sink during the summer because hot air seeps down there. This causes a rise in humidity, which in turn leads to condensation, which fosters the growth of mold and mildew. When the cold air begins to warm up, it rises through the rest of the house and leaves through various openings, including the attic and the cracks in the walls. All of this means that the air conditioner will have to work harder to achieve the desired temperature, which will result in an increase in your monthly utility bills.
Alterations in Airflow Caused by the Stack Effect
There are a number of different factors that determine the overall airflow produced by the stack effect. The difference between the temperature outside and the temperature inside is one of them. The height of the home, in addition to the width of the openings at the bottom and top of the structure, is yet another important factor to consider.
These calculations also show how the size of the openings in the structure, such as those caused by cracks and vents, can have an effect. A home with an indoor temperature of 75 degrees, an outdoor temperature of 40 degrees, and an opening measuring two square feet has a stack effect airflow of 714 cubic feet per minute (CFM). If the opening is enlarged to four square feet, the volume of airflow will rise to 1,428 cubic feet per minute (CFM). If the opening were to be reduced to one square foot, the flow rate would drop to 357 cubic feet per minute.
You can probably imagine that tall office buildings have a significant stack effect that they employ. In point of fact, the very first people to construct skyscrapers were forced to think of and design the revolving door because the stack effect airflow pressure prevented ground floor doors from being opened.
How to Minimize the Impact of Stacking in Your Own Home
You have a number of options available to you as a means of mitigating the negative effects of the stack effect in your own home. One important step is decreasing both the number and the size of openings throughout your home that allow airflow. As the preceding illustration demonstrated, if you cut the opening in half, the airflow will also be cut in half. Listed below are a few different choices.
-Seal any cracks or openings in the walls, including those around the windows and even the wall outlets.
-You should consider adding more attic insulation and replacing any existing attic insulation that is damaged, compressed, or both.
-Install insulation in the crawl space, and give some thought to encapsulation.
-Insulate the basement, but before you do so, make sure any cracks in the foundation are fixed and that any necessary waterproofing is applied.
Installing a dehumidifier in the basement or crawl space can assist in lowering the amount of moisture present and thereby preventing the growth of mold and mildew.
We Can Help
Get in touch with RLM Retrofit Foundation, the most reputable provider of foundation solutions in the United States, to get more information about shielding your home from the harm that can be caused by the stack effect. Make an appointment for a free Foundation Inspection Near Me Tarzana and repair estimate in my local area today.
