The stack effect can occur in any home, but that does not mean it will affect every home. There are certain conditions required to produce the stack effect. In short, you need some kind of opening in the lower reaches of your home (since every home will have ventilation in place at the highest point of the property). Exposed Crawl Spaces One of the most common causes of the stack effect in homes around Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, is the presence of an exposed or non-encapsulated crawl space. The presence of open vents in particular can cause a lot of problems that go beyond the stack effect and may cause serious structural damage to both your crawl space and your wider home. Thankfully, this issue is relatively easy to rectify, especially if your crawl space is otherwise in good health. If your crawl space has underlying damage that has been caused by persistent dampness and exposure, like wood rot and mold, you will have to deal with these issues before you seal the crawl space off. Once you encapsulate the area, however, the stack effect will cease to be an issue. Structural Damage If you have a basement, or your crawl space has already been waterproofed and encapsulated, there is a high chance that the cause of the stack effect in your home is some kind of structural damage. Generally speaking, there needs to be a sizable hole of some kind to cause a noticeable change (anything big enough to push your finger through will have an impact). Of course, if there is a number of smaller openings, this will have the same effect. The kinds of structural damage most likely to cause the stack effect are damaged windows or doors, damaged window or door frames, unsealed utility entry or exit points (or points at which the seal has worn away), and serious structural damage to a property’s walls. If you are certain that something is going on in your home, but you cannot find the precise cause, it is time to call in a professional.