When heating and cooling costs have your back against the wall, it’s time for a DIY project–air sealing. You can save money and energy and help the environment by sealing gaps and cracks with silicone caulk. An easy task for most handy homeowners, it can cut home heating and cooling costs by as much as 14 percent. Here are hints on how:

Step 1: Select the right caulk. Not all caulk provides energy savings over time. Silicone caulk does. Unlike acrylic caulk, silicone is permanently flexible, shrink- and crack-proof and waterproof. In fact, silicone remains unaffected by all weather and temperature conditions so gaps and cracks, where energy dollars can pass, will not form. Leaks are never a good thing but even more dangerous when you assume they don’t exist following your sealing efforts. Look for GE Silicone II* Window & Door or GE Silicone II* Paintable Silicone.

Step 2: Weatherize before “weather” hits. Don’t put off weatherizing until it’s cold out and your energy dollars have already gone up the chimney.

Step 3: Search the house for leaks and seal the gaps with silicone. Air can enter or exit a house through cracks and openings in many places. Some of the most common areas to find leaks:

• Attic: Leakage is likely to be greatest where walls meet the floor, dropped-ceiling areas and behind or under knee walls. If you find dirty insulation, this indicates a leak, as air is moving through it.
• Basement: Check along the top of the basement wall where cement or blocks come in contact with the wood frame. Flexibility is key in unheated spaces. Acrylic can lose flexibility and crack over time, which could leave the area vulnerable to energy loss. Flexible silicone caulk means sustained sealing benefits.
• Doors and Windows: If you can see daylight around the frames, air can get through, too. On a windy day, use a lighted incense stick inside to seek air leaks. Moving air makes the smoke waver. Heat and the sun’s rays can take a toll on the home’s exterior, causing acrylic caulk to crack and crumble over time. Silicone continues to fill the gap regardless of weather conditions.
• Plumbing and Wiring Entrance Sites: Holes for pipe and wire installation can be quite large, letting air flow in or out. Major leakage sites can be found around plumbing, ducts, recessed lighting, and cables and electrical wiring through floors, walls and the exterior of the home. Rain and snow can seep in around these areas.

For more information, visit www.caulkandsave.com.
 

Provided by (NAPSI)