Plugging The Air Leaks In Your Home: An Easy Guide To Caulking

If there are air leaks in your home, an easy way to seal many of them is with caulk. This flexible material, which is usually applied from a canister with a caulk gun, is used to seal stationary joints between different building components. Caulk can be applied inside and outside your home for the purpose of weatherizing your home and preventing water damage around fixtures and drains.

Tips for applying caulk to a window or door frame

Caulking does not require any specific training or knowledge, but it can be a little tricky. Be sure to only attempt caulking the air leaks in your home if the outdoor temperature is above 45 degrees. If this is the first time you’ve ever caulked a window or door frame, try practicing on a piece of newspaper or other scrap material to get a feel for it first. Then, you’ll be ready to apply it in a permanent location.

• To ensure good adhesion, clean the area before you apply the caulk. Remove chipping paint and old caulk with a putty knife or screwdriver. Dry the area well to prevent sealing in moisture.
• Apply caulk to all joints in the window or door frame as well as the joint between the frame and the wall. As you apply the caulking compound, hold the caulk gun at a consistent 45-degree angle and pull it across the surface.
• Caulk in one straight, continuous bead for the best application. Apply enough caulk that it clearly sticks to both sides of the seam.
• Release the trigger prior to pulling the gun away from the crack so you don’t accidentally apply too much caulking material. Look for an automatic-release caulk gun to do this for you.
• Push oozing caulk back into the crack with a putty knife.
• Smooth the applied caulk with a dampened finger to give it a nice finished look.

With these tips to applying caulk, you’re ready to seal the air leaks in your home. To learn more, please contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal today. We serve homeowners in northwest Arkansas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Northwest Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about sealing air leaks and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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