Your entire home should be a refuge that’s warm and cozy 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 merely be due to the fact most thermostats in a house are on the first 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 variations between the upstairs and downstairs could also be because of problems with your HVAC system. Some of these challenges can be sorted out relatively quickly while others might necessitate more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the professionals at Booneville Heating & Cooling 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 getting hotter than the downstairs can be traced to several factors. First, heat rises, so it’s natural for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the ground floor. Not enough insulation in the attic or roof can worsen this problem by allowing heat transfer from the roof into the upstairs rooms.

Another common reason is that the HVAC system is not powerful enough to cool the entire home, causing it to struggle to cool the upstairs properly.

To address these issues, homeowners could install extra insulation in the attic and make sure their home has sufficient ventilation. If there’s a question of whether the air conditioning unit is the correct size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like Booneville Heating & Cooling inspect the unit. A skilled professional also can help find a unit that's better suited for your home if you need air conditioning installation or replacement.

Why Is My Upstairs So Cold/Not Heating?

When the downstairs of your home is warm, but it’s freezing upstairs, that could result in a frosty night for anyone whose bedrooms are on the upper floor. The most prevalent causes of an upstairs not heating like it ought to are the insulation levels and the ductwork.

Inadequate insulation permits cold air to seep through the home’s attic or walls and contribute to heat loss, creating colder temperatures on higher floors. It’s important to make sure your home has a deep, 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 critical role in distributing conditioned air throughout different rooms of the building. However, problems with the ductwork can contribute to the upstairs being colder than the downstairs. 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 level.

Another potential problem area in the ductwork is the placement of the supply and return vents. If there are fewer vents on the upper story or they are poorly placed, it can limit air circulation and cause inferior heating or cooling. Also, leaks or gaps in the ductwork can cause 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 skilled HVAC pros like the team at Booneville Heating & Cooling to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and putting in new vents or adjusting existing ones can help improve airflow and ensure a better 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 lower floors of your residence, an HVAC zoning system could be a useful solution.

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

This system can be very helpful in instances where the upstairs of a multi-story home is very hot or really 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 effectively.

To find out more about an HVAC zoning system in Booneville, call Booneville Heating & Cooling. 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 My Upstairs So Humid?

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

A frequent explanation for excess upper floor humidity is weak ventilation on the upper floor, which can result in increased humidity levels. As is often the case with temperature differences between floors, insufficient insulation or sealing in the attic or walls may permit warm, humid air from outside the house infiltrate the upstairs rooms. Plus, if there are any leaks or plumbing concerns on the upper floor, that can also cause excess moisture in that section of a home.

To manage humidity problems, homeowners can increase ventilation by installing fans or opening windows to promote airflow. Adding more insulation  in the attic and better sealing the attic and walls can help protect against external moisture from entering the upstairs. Finding 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 useful tool to reduce humidity in your home.