When my husband and I purchased our home in South Bend, Indiana, we were charmed by the hardwood floors, big windows, high ceilings and wide front porch.
We loved the historical features of a home built in the late 1800’s. We were thrilled with the amount of property, privacy and gorgeous views. Coming from the northeastern part of the country, we thought we were prepared for the winter. We had no idea how difficult the house would be to heat. We also had no clue how cold and snowy it gets in South Bend. The first snowfall in early October came as an unpleasant surprise. There was several feet of snow on the ground and temperatures below freezing by Halloween. Every room in the house was freezing cold, and we spent hours everyday shoveling the walkways and driveways. We needed to get up extra early in the morning to brush snow off the vehicles, scrape ice off the windshield, clear the driveway and let the cars warm up enough to defrost the glass. By the time we returned home from work, the driveway was once again clogged with snow. Then we’d step inside, turn up the thermostat and shiver all night. I finally called around and found a professional plowing service to keep the driveway clear. I found an HVAC contractor who tested the heating system and figured out that the ductwork was the problem. Holes and leaks at the seams were allowing the majority of our heated air to escape. A duct sealing process made a huge difference in satisfaction with the furnace. In the spring, my husband and I built a garage for our vehicles. The garage is heated and allows us to start up our cars and head to work without hassle.