Be a Looky Loo for Air Leaks

Warm air leaking into your home during the summer and out of your home during the
winter can waste a lot of your energy dollars. One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you
can do is caulk, seal, and weatherstrip all outside. You can save on your heating and
cooling bill by reducing the air leaks in your home.


Tips for sealing air leaks:


First, test your home for air tightness. On a windy day, carefully hold a lit incense stick or a smoke  pen next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside.

If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weatherstripping.


Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.


Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets.


Install foam gaskets behind outlets and switch plates on walls.


Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicates holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes with low-expansion spray foam made for this purpose.


Look for dirty spots on your ceiling paint and carpet, which may indicate air leaks at interior wall/ceiling joints and wall/floor joists. These joints can be caulked.


Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with more efficient windows, such as double-pane.


When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes, 24 hours a day.


For new construction, reduced exterior wall leaks by installing house wrap, taping the
joints of exterior sheathing, and comprehensively caulking and sealing the exterior walls.


Use foam sealant around larger gaps around windows, baseboards, and other places
where warm air may be leaking out. Kitchen exhaust fan covers can keep air from leaking
in when the exhaust fan is not in use. The covers typically attach via magnets for ease of
replacement.