Every floor in your 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 multi-level residences find the upper floor is stubbornly hotter or colder than the main floor.

This could just be caused by the fact that most thermostats in a house are on the main 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 differences between the upstairs and downstairs could also be due to problems with your HVAC system. Some of these difficulties can be sorted out fairly quickly while others might necessitate more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the specialists at I-Deal HVAC 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 natural for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the first floor. Not enough insulation in the attic or roof can make this worse 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 adequately.

To deal with these issues, homeowners could install extra insulation in the attic and make sure their home has adequate ventilation. If there’s a possibility the air conditioning unit is the proper size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like I-Deal HVAC inspect the unit. A qualified professional also can help select 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 can cause an ice-cold night for anyone whose bedrooms are on the upper floor. The most common causes of an upstairs not heating like it ought to are the insulation levels and the ductwork.

Inadequate insulation allows cold air to seep through the home’s attic or walls and contribute to heat loss, resulting in colder temperatures on higher floors. It’s crucial to make sure your home has a thick, 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 fundamental role in distributing conditioned air throughout different rooms of the building. However, problems with the ductwork can result in the upstairs being colder than the lower floor. A frequently reported reason 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 go downstairs, which creates insufficient airflow—which is the heated air—on the higher floors.

Another potential problem area in the ductwork is the location of the supply and return vents. If there are fewer vents on the upper floor or they are not correctly placed, it can restrict air circulation and cause substandard heating or cooling. In addition, leaks or gaps in the ductwork can allow air loss, lowering the overall efficiency of the HVAC system and actually making the temperature difference worse.

To determine why the upstairs is colder than the downstairs, homeowners should hve their ductwork checked by trusted professionals like the team at I-Deal HVAC to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and installing more vents or adjusting existing ones can help enhance airflow and ensure a more consistent 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 residence, an HVAC zoning system could be an effective solution.

An HVAC zoning system breaks the home into distinctive 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 particularly beneficial in situations where the upstairs of a multi-story home is quite hot or too cold while the main floor is comfortable. By implementing a  zoning system, homeowners can regulate the temperature independently in each zone, enabling them to address specific hot or cold spots easily.

To find out more about an HVAC zoning system in Albuquerque, call I-Deal HVAC. 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 problem in multi-floor homes is when the upper floors are more humid than downstairs.

A common reason for excess upper floor humidity is poor ventilation on the upper floor, which can cause higher humidity levels. As is often the case with temperature differences between floors, poor insulation or sealing in the attic or walls may permit 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 unwanted moisture in that section of a home.

To manage humidity problems, homeowners can increase ventilation by installing fans or opening windows to promote airflow. Appropriate levels of 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 critical.

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