 |
 |
|
Caulking & Weatherstripping
Considering what you spend on utility bills each month, it pays to make your home as energy efficient as possible. Beside major investments like installing a ground-source heat pump, or upgrading your heating or cooling system, you can actually make a significant impact on energy costs by ensuring that your home is properly weatherized. Homes that have not been weatherized lose 30-40 percent of their heat to air leaks. Caulking and weatherstripping are the easiest and least expensive weatherization measures available, yet they may help you save more than 10 percent on your energy bills.
Caulking
Caulking is inexpensive and easy to apply, and is very effective
in preventing air infiltration. Applied outside, it also helps reduce
seepage of moisture into the walls.
Where to Caulk
Here is a list of interior and exterior places that may need to
be caulked:
- Sill plates (where walls meet the foundation indoors and outdoors)
- Behind baseboards at the joint where the wall and floor meet
- Around entrances and exits for electrical wiring, plumbing and telephone wires
- Around the clothes dryer vent
- Around exhaust fans
- At joints between exterior window frames and siding
- Where the chimney meets exterior siding
- At furnace vent stacks
- Around any air leaks in the basement
- Where door frames meet walls
What Caulk to Buy
The most common forms of caulk are solid and semi-liquid. Here
are some other considerations that will affect your purchase.
- Semi-liquid caulks must be applied with a caulking gun.
- Caulking compounds vary in their cost, elasticity and ability
to adhere to specific surfaces. The type to buy will depend on
the surfaces you need to caulk (e.g., masonry, wood, aluminum, etc.).
- The caulk you apply should also remain flexible enough to withstand
the house's normal expansion and contraction.
- When selecting caulk for exterior use, make sure it will be
durable enough to hold up to the elements.
- Keep in mind that better quality caulk, while more costly, will
last longer and be more effective than cheaper products.
- Also, certain types of caulk can be painted over while others
cannot.
A local hardware or home center can help you select the type of
material that will work best.
How Much to Buy
Estimating the amount of caulk you need depends on the size and
condition of your house. However, you can expect to use:
- One-half cartridge per window or door
- Four cartridges per foundation sill
Or, buy two cartridges and caulk two windows to get a feel for
the amount you need before buying a large quantity of materials.
How and When to Apply Caulking
Caulk during dry weather with temperatures above 45 degrees F.
Warmth is needed for the caulk to adhere. Do not caulk when humidity
is high, because cracks will be swollen shut with moisture. Before
caulking, carefully read the manufacturer's instructions for loading
and operating the caulking mechanism of the caulking gun. It takes
a little practice, so start in an inconspicuous area and have a
rag ready to clean up any mistakes.
Follow these steps:
- Clean and dry the surfaces you are working on.
- Remove any flaking paint or dried-out caulk with a screwdriver, chisel, or putty knife.
- Fill any wide or deep cracks with foam or other filler material,
such as caulking cotton. The gap you caulk should ideally be between
¼" and ¾" wide.
- Cut off the tip of the tube at a 45-degree angle. The amount
of tube you remove will determine the size of the bead created.
- Hold the caulking gun at a 45-degree angle when applying the
caulk. Pull the trigger evenly and try to run a bead along the
seam in one movement without stopping along the way.
- Make sure the bead is wide enough to cover the crack, but it
should only be in contact with two surfaces and not touch the
back of the crack. The caulk should have an hourglass shape.
- If necessary, smooth the caulk with a putty knife or your finger.
Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping is a narrow piece of felt, metal, vinyl, rubber,
or foam that seals the contact area between the fixed and movable
sections of a joint. It prevents air infiltration around windows
and doors by eliminating gaps between the frames and the moving
parts when they are closed.
What to Weatherize
Use weatherstripping:
- Around all exterior doors
- Around doors leading to the attic and garage
- Around all operable windows
What to Buy
The type of windows and doors in your house will dictate the type
of weatherstripping that is most appropriate.
- Look at the size of the gap between the fixed and movable sections when the door or window is shut.
- Consider the strengths and weaknesses of the materials in deciding which would work best.
- Keep in mind that some options are more durable than others,
so you may pay a bit more for higher quality. However, if the
weatherstripping works better and lasts longer, it's a better value.
- Purchase weatherstripping by the foot or in kits from your local
hardware store, home center or lumberyard.
- To determine the amount you need, measure the perimeters of
all the windows to be weatherstripped, then add 5-10 percent to
allow for waste.
Types of Weatherstripping
- Non-reinforced felt: Use a nail or glue or staple this
inexpensive application in place. It is best used on tops and
bottoms of windows and doors. Use where little abrasion is expected.
- Non-reinforced, self-adhesive: This inexpensive application
is easy to apply. It is best used on tops and bottoms of windows
and doors. Use where little abrasion is expected.
- Sponge rubber: This moderately inexpensive application
is more durable than felt or foam rubber. Use on sides of doors,
attic latches and non-opening windows.
- Reinforced vinyl, foam, and felt: This moderately inexpensive
and highly visible application is used on all types of windows
and doors. It is reinforced with stiff plastic or aluminum.
- Rolled vinyl with rigid metal backing: This application
is moderately expensive but easy to install and durable. It is
visible when in place. It can be used on all types of windows
and doors. You must make contact for proper seal.
- Spring plastic (vinyl): This moderately expensive application
is easy to install and invisible when in place. Use this durable
vinyl on tops and sides of doors, and double-hung and sliding windows.
- Thin spring metal: This application is expensive, yet
it is easy to install, durable and invisible when in place. This
very effective weatherstripping can be used on top and sides of
doors, and double-hung and sliding windows. The surface must be
flat and smooth.
- Fin seal: This durable application can be used to replace
worn weatherstripping on aluminum siding windows and sliding glass doors.
- Door sweep (vinyl lip with metal, wood, or plastic retainer):
This is a moderately expensive application that is visible when
in place. It is fairly easy to install and can be used on the
bottom of doors. It may snag on indoor carpet.
How to Install Weatherstripping
- Smooth and clean the surface area to be weatherstripped of all
dirt or particles that would prevent the stripping from making
a complete seal against the surface.
- Weatherstrip doors and windows around their entire circumference.
- Try to apply one continuous strip along each joint, making sure
that the stripping is tight at the corners.
- After applying the weatherstripping, check to see that it is
making contact with the fixed and movable sections of the joint.
- When the door or window is shut, the weatherstripping material
should be slightly compressed.
- Consider the thickness the stripping will add to a window or
door frame. You may have to plane the frame or movable parts to
allow proper closing.
|
|
|
