How to Heat an Upstairs Room From the Room Below

Check for drafts around windows and doors, and caulk or add weather stripping if necessary. Install attic and basement insulation and be sure the damper is closed on your fireplace. Check and caulk around plumbing pipes and electrical outlets where leaks often occur. Improving the overall insulation in your home prevents heat loss. It keeps the upstairs warm and the downstairs from losing heat through the gaps instead of making its way upstairs.

Cut a hole between the joists in the upstairs rooms. The holes should be in an area out of the way, under a bed or a dresser with legs. Find the joists using an electronic stud finder or by looking for nail holes in floor. The hole should be about the same dimension as the room, but in inches. For example, a room measuring 8-by-10 feet should have a hole measuring 8-by-10 inches. A room measuring approximately 95 square feet or more may need two holes to promote good air circulation. Cut the hole with a rotary saw, cutting from the floor instead of the ceiling in the room below.

Cover and secure the hole on both ends with a grate, found at home improvement stores. The hot air rises through the hole and the cool air sinks, balancing the temperature in the home.

Turn on the furnace or house fan to run constantly to help circulate the air throughout the home. If you have ceiling fans, turn them on upstairs so they're blowing air up toward the ceiling. This helps draw air from the downstairs to the upstairs. It also helps even out the temperature in the room. Turn on a cathedral ceiling fan so it blows downward to free trapped hot air.