Simple Tips for Sealing Air Leaks in Your House

Tired of air leakage raising your electric bill? Then havingthem sealed is the only solution. However, knowing what areas that have air leakage is important toknow. You can find out by contacting a licensed professional to check it for you. Below, you will findcommon areas that have air leakage. Seal them up and you can retain heat and cool air created byyour HVAC system.

One area you may have overlooked is yourrecessed lighting. Most have vents that lead up toyour attic, which can leak out air. If you are one ofthe homeowners that have 30 or 40 recessedlights, imagine how much air is leaking out thisvery moment. According to the PennsylvaniaHousing Research Center, this is one of the leadingproblems of air leakage. You can purchased ICATlights, which stand for Insulation Contact and AirTight, which already come with insulation.

Insulate Open Stud Cavities

It's common for homebuilders to overlook using an inner skin of plaster or drywall behind kneewalls, which are walls that are partial height and have angled ceilings. These cavities can leak outair. You can check in your attic by removing the insulation to see if the stud cavities are open. Youcan seal these areas using fiberglass insulation or reflective foil insulation.

Close Openings Around Chimneys and Flues

Because of building codes that require wood framing to be two inches from brick chimneys and oneinch from metal flues, gaps are formed, which allow air leakage. These gaps can be filled usingaluminum flashing or high-temperature silicone caulk.

Use Weatherstripping Around the Attic Door

If you have a pull-down attic door or attic hatch, just a quarter-inch gap can let out lots of air. Youcan fix this problem by using weatherstrip around the door. Caulk can be sed in between the

opening and the stair frame. A pre-insulated hatch over kit can also be purchased and installed.

Close Medium-Size Attic Gaps

After plugging up the larger attic gaps, you should move on to the medium-sized gaps. For openingsthat are between ¼ inch and 3 inches, low-expansion polurethane foam can be used. This iscommonly used around vents and plumbing pipes.

Close Gaps in Your Basement

Just as you would seal up your basement foundation to keep out water, you should also fill in gapslocated above the outside soil level. This is where air is let in. You can use the same materials usedfor the attic gaps, such as high-temperature caulk, especially around vent pipes that tend to get hot.Filling caulk in between the sill plate and foundation, and along the upper and lower edges of therim joist is a good idea.

For help with insulating your home properly, contact the licensed pros at Daniel's Design &Construction today!

http://www.danielsconstructionca.com/simple-tips-for-sealing-air-leaks-in-your-house/