How to use weather stripping products to seal air leaks in your home and save on utility bills.
As temperatures fluctuate, your home's heating and cooling systems use more energy to maintain a comfortable living space. Drafts from doors, windows and other sources can rob you of up to 40% of expensive heated or cooled air! Installing weatherstripping will save money by sealing air leaks. Here's an overview of inexpensive weatherstripping products and how to use them.
Weatherstripping products include caulk, closed or open cell foam and molded outlet and switch covers. All are designed for quick and easy application around doors, windows, in gaps and cracks. Weatherstripping must be flexible, resilient and durable to effectively seal irregular gaps, resist temperature fluctuations, ultraviolet degradation and everyday wear and tear.
The first step before installing weatherstipping is to check your home for visible gaps and cracks where masonry chimneys, concrete walls or the foundation, meets stucco, wood or aluminum siding. Check around mail chutes, utility, cable TV or phone lines, dryer vents, wall air conditioners and plumbing. Check doors and window seals by turning on your heater or air conditioner and carefully using a lighted incense stick to track any escaping smoke, indicating air leaks. Look at the bottoms of double hung windows and door sides for any visible gaps.
Next, choose and apply the best product for the job.
Latex or silicone caulk and canned foam insulation are the best solutions for sealing gaps. Latex can be painted and adheres to porous wood surfaces. Silicone is better for non-porous glass and metal, but can't be painted. Use in temperatures of 40-50 degrees or greater.
Canned foam is a nifty product made from polyurethane or latex that expands 100-300%, applicable in a wide range of temperatures. Foam comes in two types, one for filling larger irregular gaps and holes, the other for filling narrow gaps around doors, window jambs and along baseboard. Use with adequate ventilation. Excess foam must be trimmed and painted, because the exposed surface oxidizes to a dirty, yellowish brown. Once dry, trim foam that expanded out of holes with a serrated bread knife or saw. Exterior applications must be painted to prevent degradation from exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
Foam can be messy and must be immediately wiped off surfaces. Scrapping dry splatter with a putty knife can damage paint. Wear latex gloves you can buy at a drugstore to prevent foam from touching your skin, because it won't wash off and must be scraped with a pumice stone to remove.
Caulk can be used to seal 1/4 inch wide cracks, gaps, or joints. Latex can be painted and is good for use on interior surfaces around windows and doors. Colors and clear products are available. Silicone works best for exterior applications where flexibility is required. It's available in disposable tubes for use with caulking guns and one-shot applicators.
Areas must cleaned before application. Remove old caulk, peeling paint, crumbling cement, masonry or dirt with a putty knife or screwdriver. Surfaces must be dry.
Cut the end of the tube and load the gun. Hold the gun at a 45-degree angle and squeeze the trigger. Proper application takes some practice. Use a steady pumping action to apply a continuous stream so the caulk fills the bottom of the void sticking to both sides. You've got the correct angle when the caulk flows into the gap or crack in a steady stream. If it doesn't, readjust. Avoid repeated start and stops to prevent air gaps or bubbles. Release the trigger and pull the gun away. Should the caulk ooze out, use a putty knife to push it back into the gap.
Adhesive strip weatherstripping are sold in various sized rolls of closed or open-cell foam for use around doors, aluminum and wooden double hung windows. Open-cell foam is soft and compresses easily. It works well in aluminum window channels. Closed-cell foam is firmer, a better insulator, great for wooden door or window jambs. The products can't be painted.
Remove the aluminum window from the frame. Clean all window channels thoroughly because weatherstripping won't stick to dusty or greasy surfaces. Use a soft wire brush or putty knife to scrape out dirt. A toothbrush is good to brush loose grit out of the channel. Use a household cleanser or alcohol to clean all surfaces of stubborn dirt and grime. Let dry.
Expose a section of the strip's adhesive by pulling off the coated paper backing. Apply to the top and bottom channels and the side channel that the window slides into. Press into place. Trim with scissors. Be careful not to seal any weep holes. Reinstall and close the window to test for gaps and to insure that the window locking mechanism engages. Applied correctly, air infiltration and wind rattle will decrease.
For wooden casement windows, clean all surfaces of dirt, grime and peeling paint before applying the closed-cell strip to the top where the casement sections meet near the lock, and bottom of the window casement. Close and lock the window. Test for drafts by wetting your hand and holding it near.
For doors, clean surfaces and apply to the top, left and right sides of the jamb. Make sure not to block the locking mechanism. Test close the door to insure the door closes easily and the latch clicks home.
Finally, insulate all switchplates and electrical outlets with precut single or double wide sized inserts available from your home center. These are safe to use and seal gaps between covers and the boxes. Use a screwdriver to remove the switchplates or electrical box covers. Set the insert in and replace the cover. It's that simple. Use on every switch or box in the house. You'll be surprised how effective a fix these can be.
As seasonal temperatures rise and fall, installing weatherstripping can quickly help you to realize a reduction in utility bills and maintain a comfortable living space. For a few dollars invested, weatherstripping can help you save money by sealing the envelope and reducing air leaks.
