Seal Your Home’s Envelope
A home’s envelope consists of walls, floor, ceiling and roof. Sealing air leaks can save up to 40% on your annual energy bill:
- Add weather stripping around windows and doors to reduce drafts.
- Install foam plates inside light switches and outlets
- Use caulking to seal around ducts, plumbing and any other openings in walls, floors and ceilings to reduce air leakage. Begin in the attic, a common place for warm air to escape.
- Seal larger gaps that cannot be covered with caulk with expanding foam.
Test for air leaks by holding a lit incense stick next to 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 weather stripping.
