Where Is Your Rochester Home Losing the Most Energy, And Why Insulation Comes First
Winters in Rochester, NY, aren’t just cold, they're intense. With frequent lake-effect snow, extended subzero temperatures, and biting wind chills, Rochester homes need more than just a working furnace to stay warm; they need to be energy-efficient from the inside out, and the outside in.
At Halco Home Solutions, we’ve been helping Rochester homeowners identify and solve energy loss issues for decades. And while many people assume the solution lies in buying a bigger heating system, the smarter way to improve your home comfort is to stop the heat from escaping before you generate more of it.
Let’s break down how Halco’s home energy assessments uncover the real issues, and how you get a warmer, more efficient home.
Rochester’s Housing Stock: Built Before Efficiency Was a Priority
Rochester’s vintage architectural charm often comes with a hidden cost: inefficiency. Many homes in the city were built before modern energy codes existed. From 1920s Colonials and Victorians to post-war bungalows and ranches, these houses weren’t originally designed with energy performance in mind.
Here’s what we commonly see:
- Under-insulated attics that leak, allowing warm air to rise
- Uninsulated or poorly insulated basements and crawl spaces allowing cold outside air in
- Air gaps and drafts around rim joists, windows, doors, and electrical penetrations
- Old or improperly vented heating systems working overtime to compensate
Without proper insulation and air sealing, even the most advanced heat pump or furnace will struggle to maintain comfort, and your energy bills will keep climbing.
Where Is Your Home Losing the Most Energy?
As building science professionals, it's our protocol to begin every efficiency journey with a comprehensive home energy assessment, using tools like blower door tests and thermal imaging to identify heat loss points.
Our assessments often address three areas that need the most improvement:
The Attic
Hot air rises. And if your attic is under-insulated, it escapes straight through the roof. This is the #1 source of energy loss in most Rochester homes, and is also known to cause ice dams.
Basement or Crawl Space
Cold air seeps in through gaps in foundation walls and uninsulated floors, chilling your home from the bottom up. This is often the cause of cold morning floors!
The Pressure Boundary/Air Seal
The “pressure boundary” refers to the envelope of your home, the sealed barrier that separates the conditioned space from the outside.
Why Insulation and Air Sealing Come First
With our building envelope-first approach, we start by insulating the top and bottom of your home, then sealing it up tight. This method:
- Reduces heating and cooling demand
- Improves indoor comfort and consistency
- Maximizes the performance of HVAC systems and renewables
- Lays the foundation for clean energy upgrades like heat pumps or solar
The Next Step? Smarter, More Efficient Systems
Once your home is sealed and insulated, we can help you size and install:
- Cold-climate air source heat pumps (ducted or ductless)
- Hybrid systems that pair with existing furnaces
- Geothermal heat pumps, ideal for deep retrofits and long-term savings
- Solar panels and battery storage, made more effective by lower energy demands
But again, none of this performs at its best without first fixing insulation and air sealing. It's not just about heating, it's about keeping the heat you’ve already paid for.
Yes, We Do That in Rochester!
At Halco Home Solutions, we’re your locally owned and operated, full-service home solutions team, based right here in the Finger Lakes. We know what Rochester homes need to stay warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and efficient year-round.
Whether it’s a home energy assessment, insulation and air sealing, HVAC upgrades, plumbing, electrical, solar, or geothermal, yes, we do that. And we do it all in-house, with no subcontractors and no shortcuts, no hidden private equity buyouts. Just trusted experts delivering comprehensive solutions from people who live and work in your community.
Take the First Step Toward a More Efficient Home
If your energy bills are high and your home feels drafty, it’s time to find out where your Rochester home is losing the most energy, and fix it for good.
