Adding
caulking and weatherstripping to your home can save up to 10 percent on your
energy bill, so have a pro seal your home's air leaks to make it more comfortable and
energy efficient. Or if you're feeling caulky, try it yourself!
Caulking and
weatherstripping are especially important
in older homes, as they tend to be
leakier than newer homes. They can suck cold air in through gaps between outside
doors and frames, and escaping heat makes your poor
furnace run harder, shortening its life.
Weatherstripping seals small gaps, vanquishing air leaks and defending your house against moisture.
1. To determine whether you have air leaks and track them down, try one of the following tests. On a windy day, light a stick of incense and hold it near doors, windows, and the places where your walls meet the ceiling and the floor. If the incense smoke moves, you may well have an air leak. Or try closing a window or door on a sheet of paper and then pulling the paper out. The paper should tear when you pull it out; if not, you are likely losing energy.
2. At a hardware store, buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, caulk and a caulking gun, tacky rope caulk (not that kind of tacky), or a roll of foam weatherstripping tape to block drafty spots around window frames. Apply weatherstripping to movable joints.
3. At home, shut doors tight by installing a door sweep, a piece of aluminum trim that attaches to the bottom of the door with a vinyl flap or nylon brush that meets the floor. To install, leave the door in place; just fit the sweep to the door's base and screw it on.
4. From the roll of foam weatherstripping tape, cut lengths to match your door frame and press the self-adhering tape against the frame for a tight seal. Peel it off in summer.
Important: Follow the instructions that came with the caulking and weatherstripping material.
Types of weatherstripping. Weatherstripping can be made of plastic, foam, felt, or metal.
Check existing weatherstripping. Look around your doors and windows: Is the weatherstripping torn or missing? This can become expensive if ignored.
Measure your door's width. Before going to the hardware store, measure your door's width. Typical doors are 30 or 36 inches across.
Check the door jamb. On doors, make sure the bottom seal is working properly—there are many sweeps, gaskets, and thresholds designed to seal this gap. Doors generally need weatherstripping in their jambs as well. Adhesive-backed foam pads are easy to install for this purpose.
Get the type of weatherstripping that most closely matches your door. You'll probably want your weatherstripping to visually blend in with your door as much as possible. If you can't find a good match at your hardware store, check with the door manufacturer or the place where you bought the door for recommendations. Or simply check with door or window repair services for suggestions.
Measure twice before cutting. Be sure to measure your door two more times before you cut the weatherstripping material to make sure the material will fit.
Install a door sweep. If you can feel a draft coming from under the door, be sure to install a door sweep. The only exception is when the bottom of the door frame is even with or below the floor or carpet.
Replace older windows instead of weatherstripping. If you have older, double-hung windows, you may want to avoid weatherstripping and simply
replace the windows because those types of windows can be difficult to weatherstrip.
Seal outside leaks. Outside, seal leaks with weather-resistant caulk. For brick areas, use masonry sealer, which will better stand up to freezing and thawing.