Your entire home should be a retreat that’s warm and toasty in the winter and cool and comfortable in the summer. However, owners of some two-story homes find the upper floor is stubbornly hotter or colder than the first floor.

This could just be due to the fact most thermostats in a house are on the ground floor, which is where people spend the most time—in the living room, kitchen, etc.—so it makes sense to set the temperature according to how it feels on the first floor.

However, temperature discrepancies between the upstairs and downstairs could also be because of trouble with your HVAC system. Some of these difficulties can be sorted out relatively quickly while others might necessitate more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the professionals at Lanz Furnace and Fireplace will help you figure out why the upstairs of your home is hotter than downstairs, or vice versa.

Why Is My Upstairs So Hot?

The phenomenon of the upstairs of a two-story home becoming hotter than the downstairs can be traced to several factors. Number one, heat rises, so it’s normal for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the ground floor. Insufficient insulation in the attic or roof can exacerbate this issue by letting heat transfer from the roof into the upstairs rooms.

Another common reason is that the air conditioner is not big enough to cool the entire home, causing it to fight to cool the upstairs sufficiently.

To deal with these issues, homeowners could put in extra insulation in the attic and make sure their home has adequate ventilation. If there’s a question of whether the AC is the ideal size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like Lanz Furnace and Fireplace inspect the unit. A skilled professional also can help find a unit that's better suited for your home if you are considering air conditioning installation or replacement.

Why Is My Upstairs Colder/Not Heating?

When the downstairs of your home is warm, but it’s extremely chilly upstairs, that makes for an ice-cold night for anyone whose bedrooms are on the upper floor. The most frequent reasons an upstairs not heating like it should are the insulation levels and the ductwork.

Inadequate insulation lets cold air to filter through the home’s attic or walls and contribute to heat loss, creating colder temperatures upstairs. It’s important to make sure your home has a deep, level layer of insulation in the attic and proper insulation in the walls to keep the cold out and the heat inside.

The ductwork in a home plays a very important role in circulating conditioned air throughout different areas of the building. However, troubles with the ductwork can cause the upstairs being colder than the downstairs. A common explanation for this is improper airflow balance. The ducts may not be the right size or configuration, causing an uneven distribution of air between the floors. This can cause more warm air to flow downstairs, causing insufficient airflow—which is the heated air—on the upper story.

Another potential problem area in the ductwork is the location of the supply and return vents. If there are fewer vents on the upper level or they aren't well placed, it can reduce air circulation and cause inferior heating or cooling. Additionally, leaks or gaps in the ductwork can allow air loss, decreasing the overall efficiency of the HVAC system and exacerbating the temperature difference.

To determine why the upstairs is colder than the downstairs, homeowners should hve their ductwork examined by experienced experts like the team at Lanz Furnace and Fireplace to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and installing new vents or adjusting existing ones can help improve airflow and ensure a better temperature balance between the upstairs and downstairs.

Fixing the Hot or Cold Upstairs Problem?

If your upstairs is hotter or colder than the ground level of your house, an HVAC zoning system could be a useful solution.

An HVAC zoning system separates the home into different zones, which each have their own thermostat and damper system so the homeowner can customize the heating or cooling of each zone.

This system can be especially useful in situations where the upstairs of a multi-story home is too hot or too cold while the main floor is comfortable. By setting up a  zoning system, homeowners can manage the temperature independently in each zone, enabling them to address specific hot or cold spots effortlessly.

To find out more about an HVAC zoning system in Monroe, call Lanz Furnace and Fireplace. We’ve created and installed customized home comfort plans for many community members and are happy to show how an HVAC zoning system could benefit your home.

Why Is it So Humid Upstairs?

In addition to the upper story being hotter or colder than the rest of the house, another issue in multi-floor homes is when the upper floors are more humid than downstairs.

A frequent cause for excess upper floor humidity is poor ventilation on the upper floor, which can produce higher humidity levels. As is often the case with temperature differences between floors, insufficient insulation or sealing in the attic or walls may allow warm, humid air from outdoors infiltrate the upstairs rooms. In addition, if there are any leaks or plumbing concerns on the upper floor, that can also cause excessive moisture in that level of a home.

To correct humidity problems, homeowners can improve ventilation by using fans or opening windows to promote airflow. Proper insulation  in the attic and better sealing the attic and walls can help protect against external moisture from entering the upstairs. Identifying and repairing any leaks or plumbing issues is also imperative.

Depending on the levels of moisture found in the home, a whole-home dehumidifier could be another helpful tool to control humidity in the residence.