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Weatherize Your Home
Learn where to caulk and seal your home to
keep out the elements and keep in the comfort.
Caulking is an energy-saving project that is relatively inexpensive-and very effective.
In fact, it will usually pay for itself in energy savings within one year.
As a general rule, caulking should be applied wherever two different building materials
meet on the interior and exterior of your home. Different building materials will
expand and contract at various rates. Because of extreme temperatures, some caulking
materials may dry out, crack, and develop holes. When this happens air can infiltrate
in these areas and they need to be caulked again.
You can check for air leaks inside your home by moving your hand around the windows
and doors on a windy day. If you can feel air movement, you need to caulk. Caulking
done on the interior of your home will generally last longer than on the exterior.
The following are a few where you can caulk your home to reduce the amount of heat
that escapes during winter, as well as unwanted heat that gets in during the summer.
- Around doors and windows - inside and outside
- Places where brick and wood siding meet
- Joints between the chimney and the siding
- Between the foundation and the walls
- Around mail chutes - inside and outside
- Aroundelectrical and gas service entrances, phone lines
- Around outdoor water faucets and pipes
- Where dryer vents pass through walls - inside and outside
- Cracks in bricks, siding, stucco and foundation
- Around air conditioner - inside and outside
- Around vents and fans - inside and outside
- Wherever two different materials meet.
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