skip to main content

Basements Heating & Air Conditioning

should I add a door sweep to the door leading to my finished basement?

3 years ago

probably a dumb question I don't know. Our basement is finished we have a heat pump it is not zoned. In the basement I did add a return and two vents. To be honest I typically keep the vents closed in the winter because the amount of heat added is really negligible. In the summer I do open the vents which help to keep it a little cooler.
Someone I know has a similar basement similarly insulated and he says his basement gets a lot cooler than mine. I am wondering if the fact that my upstairs door that leads to the basement has a 1 in Gap at the bottom and is allowing heat from the upstairs to be pulled down to the basement is why my basement is so much warmer! if I put up tissue at the base of the door it literally can get sucked under the door and down into the basement.
Should I put a door sweep in and block this air from going down or is there a benefit to having that air get sucked down the stairs into the basement? My basement can get as cold as 60 but is usually between 64 and 66°.
Will adding a door sweep save me a lot on my electric bill?
Right now we have baseboard heat and our one area and a forced fan heat and another and it typically takes less than 20 minutes to heat the basement up to 70° and it usually stays that warm... heat does not run continuously but instead cycles on and off every now and then. Also we do not live in the basement at times I'll go down to watch a movie in my man cave other than that it's exercising doing the wash etc etc for which we typically do not even turn the heat on.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

sktn77a
3 years ago
Unless there's negative pressure in the basement (and it sounds like it is positive if you have a couple of supply vents), warm air will rise in the house and not fall and find its way down to the basement.
Bob F
Original Author
3 years ago
the basement is below ground. the heat pump etc is in the basement. there are two vents which I have closed some air still gets out. and there is one return. I can assure you air is being sucked to the basement.
Related Discussions
I am so horrible at this... What color should I paint my front door?
Q
Comments (20)
Like the pergola over the garage door idea. If built to be sturdy enough to walk on it, then it could serve as a fire escape route should the need ever arise -- certainly hope it never does. You might also consider painting your step rails and side supports the same color as your siding unless you're planning to have a wood finish door and/or a rustic porch and post addition over the entry at a later date, in which case you'd want those additions to have the same wood finish. (Might apply to any pergola over the garage as well.) https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=images+rustic+porch+and+post+entry&qpvt=images+rustic+porch+and+post+entry&FORM=IGRE
...See More
Help! Should I remove the shutters and add black windows/black doors
Q
Comments (28)
I know shed dormers are the “typical” dormers on capes but what do you all think of the way the house looks with these dormers? The celiling will be very high in what will be a rather small room. The shed dormer would have a low celiljng and make the room feel even smaller?
...See More
Will having a door to finished basement help AC keep 1st floor cool?
Q
Comments (17)
Not an attic fan. The fan that runs when the furnace or AC is running, it can be set to auto or on, is currently on so it pulls up basement air even when AC isn't active. Hubby says all the vents in the basement are closed (there are several vents on each floor). It is still about 20 degrees cooler down there. The stairwell is in center of house and the main floor AC'd air just sinks. Zoning is next. Already foamed the attic. Windows are very poorly oriented so there is no cross flow in the house for overnight cooling. Neither the north or south side have any windows at all, and no space for window fans because screen is on inside of louvred windows. Adding windows is on the to-do list. Black shingles will be switched out for more reflective ones. As I mentioned, I have had three professionals (who could try to sell me a new AC instead) say that I should add a door. So that is the immediate step with the others to follow. Thanks everyone!
...See More
Advice on interior door leading down to basement
Q
Comments (23)
I would remove the door and spend the money on replacing the stairs to bring them up to code and also make them safe to use for your family. What a bonus to have a walkout so fix the basement leave the door off and bring that landing up to the level of the kitchen floor with a new set of stairs. IMO you will need a new set of stairs and I bet they can be built for a decent price if you do not want fancy but just good useable stairs .We redid ours going to our basement for 2k .We did the treads in LVP like the basement floor and we DIYed that .
...See More
kevin9408
3 years ago
A few questions, do you have a clothes dryer, gas water heater, bathroom vent fan or any type of chimney for a fireplace in the basement? If your sucking air into the basement it's going someplace and if it fills up your basement it will explode, kidding. If everything in the basement is off and there is no chimney walk around with something that smokes and follow the smoke, you may have some air leaks to the outside.
mike_home
3 years ago
I think by closing the two vents in the basement, the basement return is pulling most of the return air from underneath the basement door. Try the tissue test with the two basement vents open. You should see a noticeable difference.

Will adding a door sweep save me a lot on my electric bill?

It may possibly save a little in the winter, and probably nothing in the summer. In my house I keep the basement vent open in the winter and closed in the summer. In the winter the basement gets very little solar gain. On a cold sunny day the basement tends to be colder than the rest of the house. Any heat added to the basement is going to keep the first floor warmer and help the rest of the house. In the summer the basement is always the coolest part of the house. I have to keep the vent closed otherwise it gets too cold on a hot day when the AC is running.
Bob F
Original Author
3 years ago
thanks for the comments here are some updates.

first we do have a electric dryer in the basement however whether it's running or not does not seem to have an effect on the air getting pulled downstairs.

second I did open the two vents in the basement and that also has had no impact on the air being pulled under the door to the basement.

third my wife reminded me I just put the return in the basement within the last year and she said this has been like this since we moved in. she's probably right.

fourth I believe we have a variable system and I will say when the fan is running higher more air is getting sucked to the basement but I guess that's no surprise.

so I guess the question is whether I should do anything about it or just leave things be.
sktn77a
3 years ago
If air is being "sucked" into the basement under the basement door, then you have more air being returned to the basement return that is being delivered to the basement from the basement supplies; ie an supply/return imbalance in the basement. If you have blocked off the basement supplies, then block off the basement return (assuming the basement return isn't the only return).
Bob F
Original Author
3 years ago
not sure huh? was referring to.

I opened it to vents and the return in the basement air still gets sucked down. I closed the two vents and the return in the basement air still gets sucked down..

it's been like this for years I guess I'll just leave it go. but it feels like my warm air from upstairs is being brought down to the basement perhaps warming it a little more than it need me since it is a basement . hopefully it's not making a huge impact to my bill.

Related Stories

DOORS See How Salvaged Doors Add Character to a Home

By Jennifer Christgau-Aquino

Designers use distinctive old doors to make a statement in these spaces

COLOR How to Paint Your Front Door, From Start to Finish

By Annie Thornton

Learn what you need to know about this weekend project, such as the best paint to use and the right time to do it

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: A Hard-to-Find Door Just Adds to the Experience

By Mitchell Parker

A roundabout entry allows guests to fully enjoy this modern cedar box perched over a creek in Austin, Texas

BASEMENTS Basement of the Week: Stone Arches, a Fun Ceiling and a Secret Door

By Becky Harris

Custom details turn a dark space into a bright and inviting entertainment lounge with a bar, games area, bathroom and more

BASEMENTS Basement of the Week: Newly Finished and Open to the Outdoors

By Becky Harris

Relaxing, working, playing ... a New Jersey family can pick their pastime in this industrial-style walk-out leading to a new patio

DOORS Design 2011: Black Casework, Doors and Cabinetry

By Kerrie Kelly Design Lab

All-Black Doors, Trim and Cabinets Will Add to the Year's Chic Appeal

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK Kitchen of the Week: Behind the Barn Door, a Butler’s Pantry

By Erin Carlyle

Wine barrel pendants add a fun touch to this sleek, newly functional kitchen, where guests can help themselves to drinks

DOORS Beyond Open and Shut: 7 Ways to Use Interior Doors as Decor

By Karen Mills of Interiors by Design

Doors aren’t just for walking through. These ideas can add more function — and a dose of fun — to your interiors

SHOWERS 10 Reasons to Go for Black-Framed Shower Doors

By Laura Gaskill

Add drama, elegance or industrial chic to your bathroom with these metal-framed glass doors and windows

DIY PROJECTS Make Your Own Barn-Style Door — in Any Size You Need

By No. 29 Design

Low ceilings or odd-size doorways are no problem when you fashion a barn door from exterior siding and a closet track

Sponsored

MCR ROMERO WORK LLC

Innovative & Creative General Contractors Servicing Franklin County

More Discussions

Cooling Mini Splits

65

Moving the furnace? How difficult and how costly?

5

Remote exhaust fan & range hood recommendations?

0

Replace rusted swamp cooler panels with aluminum sheeting?

2

HVAC condensate pump issue

7