Your entire home should be a refuge that’s warm and toasty in the winter and cool and comfortable in the summer. However, families who live in some two-story homes find the upper floor is stubbornly hotter or colder than the rooms on ground level.

This could merely be because 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 they set the temperature according to how it feels on the first floor.

However, temperature variations between the upstairs and downstairs could also be because of issues with your HVAC system. Some of these difficulties can be resolved fairly quickly while others might require more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the specialists at Dearing's Service & Solutions will help you determine why the upstairs of your home is hotter than downstairs, or vice versa.

Why Is It Hot Upstairs?

The phenomenon of the upstairs of a two-story home getting hotter than the downstairs can be traced to several factors. For starters, heat rises, so it’s common for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the ground floor. Lack of insulation in the attic or roof can exacerbate this issue by allowing heat transfer from the roof into the upstairs rooms.

Another common reason is that the air conditioning is not strong enough to cool the entire home, causing it to have difficulty cooling the upstairs effectively.

To deal with these issues, homeowners could put in extra insulation in the attic and make sure their home has sufficient ventilation. If there’s a question of whether the air conditioner is the ideal size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like Dearing's Service & Solutions inspect the unit. A qualified professional also can help find a unit that's better suited for your home if you require 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 could result in a frosty night for anyone whose bedrooms are on the upper floor. The most frequent reasons an upstairs not heating like it ought to are the insulation levels and the ductwork.

Inadequate insulation permits cold air to leak through the home’s attic or walls and contribute to heat loss, causing colder temperatures on the upper levels. It’s essential to make sure your home has a thick, level layer of insulation in the attic and appropriate insulation in the walls to keep the cold out and the heat inside.

The ductwork in a home plays a fundamental role in distributing conditioned air throughout different locations of the building. However, problems with the ductwork can cause the upstairs being colder than the lower floor. A typical explanation for this is improper airflow balance. The ducts may not be the right size or in the appropriate layout, resulting in an uneven distribution of air between the floors. This can cause more warm air to flow downstairs, leaving 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 are poorly placed, it can reduce air circulation and cause inferior heating or cooling. Also, leaks or gaps in the ductwork can cause air loss, reducing the overall efficiency of the HVAC system and actually making the temperature difference worse.

To figure out why the upstairs is colder than the downstairs, homeowners should hve their ductwork examined by experienced professionals like the team at Dearing's Service & Solutions to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and installing new vents or adjusting existing ones can help improve airflow and ensure a more even temperature balance between the upstairs and downstairs.

How You Can Fix a Hot or Cold Upstairs?

If your upstairs is hotter or colder than the rest of your house, an HVAC zoning system could be an effective solution.

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

This system can be very effective in instances where the upstairs of a multi-story home is too hot or extremely cold while the main floor is comfortable. By implementing a  zoning system, homeowners can control the temperature independently in each zone, allowing them to address specific hot or cold spots effortlessly.

To find out more about an HVAC zoning system in Huntingburg, call Dearing's Service & Solutions. We’ve designed 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 the Humidity So High 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 the first floor.

A typical reason for excess upper floor humidity is weak ventilation on the upper floor, which can cause increased humidity levels. As is often the case with temperature differences between floors, insufficient insulation or sealing in the attic or walls may let warm, humid air from outside infiltrate the upstairs rooms. In addition, if there are any leaks or plumbing problems on the upper floor, that can also create excess moisture in that level of a home.

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

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