As autumn arrives on our doorstep, the time is right to seal air leaks around your home. The colder temperatures outside can draw the heat out through cracks and gaps around your windows and doors. Finding these trouble spots and addressing them before the weather is constantly cold is a great way to save energy and money, and to make your home more comfortable.
When you properly seal air leaks around your home, you can reduce your annual energy use by as much as 20 percent. That represents huge potential savings on your monthly bills, but also a hefty bite out of your personal carbon footprint. The less energy you’re using to heat or cool your home, the less you are contributing to climate change. Fringe benefits of sealing air leaks around doors and windows include keeping out pesky bugs, pollen, and other allergens that may affect your household.
How To Identify Air Leaks And Trouble Spots
A professional home energy audit is the best way to determine where your home is leaking air. However, if an audit is not in the cards for you this year, a “do it yourself” approach can help. You can borrow a thermal camera from any Fairfax County Check for air leaks in the following places:
- Areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet
- Attics, if there is a lack of insulation
- Attic hatches
- Baseboards or edges of flooring
- Cable TV and phone line openings
- Door edges
- Dryer vents
- Electrical and gas service entrances
- Lighting and plumbing fixtures
- Mail slots
- Outdoor water faucets
- Open fireplace dampers
- Switches and electrical outlets
- Wall and ceiling junctures
- Window edges
Seal The Leaks!
Once you’ve identified any and all air leaks around your home, it’s time to seal them. Depending on the location and nature of the leak, you can use one of two methods.
For a leak on a stationary, non-moving building component, such as the outer edge of a windowsill, use caulk. Caulk is great for gaps or cracks that are less than ¼ inch in size. IT also works well for water leaks.
For building components that move, like windows or doors, or for narrow gaps around them, use weatherstripping.
In attics, walls, and basements or for large areas of general air loss through major outer components of a home, insulation is called for.
Safety First
Sealing up your home is a great way to make it more efficient, but doing so can also present some safety risks if certain projects are not done properly or if precautions are not taken.
Without proper ventilation, your indoor air quality can decline, and in some cases, become dangerous to your health. Indoor air pollution can come from your natural gas burning appliances, chemicals used indoors, radon, asbestos, volatile organic compounds from paint, formaldehyde, and other indoor pollution. It often surprises people to learn that even our normal breathing can cause indoor air quality issues if we do not have adequate oxygen entering a space. We breathe out CO2, so if a room is perfectly sealed, indoor oxygen levels gradually drop. The good news is that if you have adequate ventilation, you should have nothing to worry about. Check with your HVAC maintenance specialist to ask if your system is pulling in fresh air.
If you have a natural gas stove, always be sure to turn on the vent hood that should be located above the stove when it is in use. Burning natural gas releases carbon monoxide, which can be fatal in high concentrations.
Learn More
To learn more about home weatherization and sealing air leaks and for free weatherization supplies, stop by a Fairfax County HomeWise event this Fall. Find more information on upcoming OEEC events online.