But that doesn’t help when you want to stay toasty on your home’s first floor.
Find out how to warm up your first floor with advice from home renovation and HVAC experts.
Meet the Expert
Install a Door
Warm air escapes the first floor via the staircase.
Cris Cantón / Getty Images
Install aninterior doorat the foot of the stairs to keep warm air downstairs.
Thoughexterior door installationis often best left to the pros, installing an interior door is far easier.
Interior doors are usuallyhollow-core and lightweight, so they’re easy to handle.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about weatherproofing them.
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Zoning ductwork is another option, Niehaus says.
“But it can become challenging to meet large variances in temperatures on the second floor.”
Gentle warm air is created as the electricity flows through the wires.
The water is heated in a central boiler.
Add Another HVAC Unit
Your current HVAC unit may not have sufficient capacity for your multi-story home.
In this case, it’s time to invest in a second HVAC unit.
“But you likely need more than one unit to do that.”
While effective, adding a new unit is a pricey fix.
HVACheat pumps costfrom $4,000 to $8,000 to install.
A heat pump can produce warm or cool air as a combination furnace and air conditioner.
An electric furnace is a less expensive option if you only need warm air.
It’s also smarter to heat one room instead of the whole house.
“Think about it,” Pennington says.
You Might Need…
Purchase wiselynot all space heaters are the same.
Instead of adding expensive new HVAC units, you may need to maintain your current system.
Thecost of an HVAC maintenancevisit is an average of $195.
It’s often more cost-effective to sign an annual HVAC maintenance contract.
terminate the chimney damper to keep that warm air downstairs.
Every wood-burning fireplace should have an operable trap door (a damper) in thechimney flue.
With the fireplace cold and not burning, look up into the chimney flue with a flashlight.
You should see the dampera metal trap doorand it should be closed when the fireplace is not used.
To end the damper, push or pull the metal lever.
In some cases, there may be a metal chain that you pull to end the damper.
Winterize the Windows
Drafty windows can rob your home’s first floor of warm air.
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy.
