Air Sealing and Weather Stripping

What:

Air sealing and weather stripping are some of the easier and cheaper energy efficiency projects that you can undertake. Air sealing reduces the amount of air that leaks in and out of your home. There are a variety of ways to seal your home but the two most common are caulking and weather stripping. Caulk is used to seal cracks and openings around your home and weather stripping is used to seal windows and doors.

Benefits: 

• Save Money: Sealing air leaks can help you save 10-20% on your heating and cooling bills. 
• Comfort: Reducing air leaks in your home will make your home more comfortable. Your home will be cooler during summer and warmer during winder. 
• Health: Sealing air leaks keeps air pollutants out of your home, especially during smoky days from wildfire events. 

Where to begin: 

• Check for air leaks:
  • Hire an energy assessor: An energy assessor is a great option as they have special tools and technology to easily detect air leaks around your home. Click here to learn more.
  • Do it yourself: There are a couple ways for you to check for air leaks yourself.
    • On a windy day, carefully hold a lit incense stick or smoke pen next to your windows, doors, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other places. If smoke travels horizontally, you have an air leak.  
    • On the outside of your home, inspect areas where two different materials meet. This includes corners, water facets, the area where the wall and chimney meet etc. If you see any gaps, there is an air leak which needs to be closed. 
    • Check places that have already been air sealed. If the caulk or weather strips are improperly applied you will need to reapply or replace the air sealing. 
    • On your door, check to see if light peaks through the sides or bottom. If so, you will need to either install a door sweep or weather strips. 
    
    

Image sourced from energy.gov

 Projects

• Weather strip doors and windows 
• Use foam sealant on larger gaps around window trims, baseboards, and other places where air may leak out. 
• Install foam gaskets behind outlets and switch plates.
  
• If you have a fire place, consider using an inflatable chimney to seal your fireplace.