How to Seal the Big Gaps and Weatherize Your Home
Weatherizing your home is one of the most cost effective ways to save energy year round but especially when the temperature dips and the wind whips around. Spend a few dollars and an hour or two to seal up some gaps in your walls. You will quickly save those few dollars on your energy bills, and your home will be less drafty and more comfortable. Sealing gaps between porches and walls will help to lessen or prevent water infiltration into your basement. This will help to keep your basement dryer, stop water damage and the build up of mold and mildew. Caulking thin gaps is easy, but the wide ones are a little tricky.
The first step to seal big cracks or gaps is to clean out any loose material from the gap and any old caulk. The sealant needs a solid material to attach to in order to make an effective seal.
Next, insert a backer rod or caulk saver. Make sure that the caulk saver is appropriately sized – it should be 10% to 30% wider than the space you want it to fill. Insert the caulk saver in the gap with the face set back from the face of the finished surface by about 1/3 the width of the gap and up to ¼” maximum.
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If the cracks are extra wide or very irregular, you will want to use expanding foam insulation. There are several types that come in a spray can. Be careful, this stuff will stick to everything and is very difficult to get off.
Before you spray the foam in the crack you may want to protect one or more of the adjacent surfaces with blue painter’s tape. Once this is done, spray in the foam and allow it to cure for at least an hour.
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It’s difficult to control how much this will foam up, so you will probably have to trim some off. Use a brand new blade in your knife and it will cut much more cleanly.
Next you will want to make sure that both edges of the foam are below the face of the adjoining surface. A putty knife will do the job.
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Finally, it is time to load up your caulk gun, cut off the tip of the tube and squeeze. Latex caulk will work best in most exterior applications. Make sure that the bead of caulk touches both sides of the joint.
At this point, you can leave the caulk joint just as it is. However, if you plan to paint the caulk, if you want to make sure you have a good seal on both sides of the joint, or if you just want the joint to be nice and smooth wet your finger with on a wad of wet paper towels and smooth our the joint. This can get a little messy, but the results are worth it! Finally, wash up with soap and water and enjoy a warmer, dryer less leaky home.
Dan Bossenbroek
September 6, 2009
Tags: Energy Conservation, Indoor Air Quality, Weatherize Posted in: Energy Conservation, Indoor Air Quality, Weatherize
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