In the summer, cool indoor air can escape through small gaps and cracks around your home's exterior, forcing the AC to work overtime. This guide shows you how to seal cracks, protect your home from moisture, and save energy.
Your home’s HVAC system runs around the clock to keep your home cool in the summer. However, all that cool air could be lost through undetected gaps and cracks. Escaping indoor air forces your cooling system to work harder to maintain optimal indoor conditions, leading to uncomfortable hot spots, higher energy consumption, and greater wear on your AC.
Seal cracks and gaps to improve energy efficiency and create a comfortable indoor environment. Sealing your home also helps protect against moisture, which can cause mold growth and serious structural damage.
Prepare your home for scorching summer weather and prevent moisture intrusion by following the steps in this simple home weatherproofing guide.
Cracks can appear just about anywhere around your home’s exterior. When looking for common air leakage points, pay close attention to areas around windows and doors, utility openings, and siding.
Use these DIY methods to identify hidden gaps:
1. Hand test: Walk around the inside of your home and use your hand to detect drafts around windows, doors, and openings in exterior walls.
2. Flashlight test: Shine a flashlight over suspected areas at night, and have another person stand inside your house to see if any light seeps through.
3. Candle test: You can also use a candle to detect air leaks and pinpoint their sources from inside your house. Watch for flickering as you move the candle along areas that might have an air leak.
Settling and moisture loss are among the main causes of gaps and cracks around windows, doors, and siding. Normal wear and tear can also damage your home’s exterior, leading to air leakage.
Use the exterior caulking tips below to identify and seal tiny openings around your home.
1. Gather supplies: For this project, you will need:
- Sealant – Loctite PL Window, Door & Siding
- Backer rod
- Utility knife
- Smoothing tool
- Caulking gun
- Flat head screw driver
- Putty knife
- Safety goggles and gloves
- Paint brush
2. Inspect your home for cracks and gaps: Walk around the exterior of your house, inspecting the windows, doors, and siding for gaps and cracks. Other areas to pay close attention to include fireplace chimneys, air vents, and areas around openings for plumbing and electrical wiring.
3. Prepare the area: Use a flat-head screwdriver or putty knife to remove any old sealant or debris from the cracks. For the perfect seal, make sure the surface is free of dust and debris. You can also run a dry paint brush along the crevices to remove dust and small particles.
Pro tip: Increasing the depth and width of the cracks (in solid materials like stucco and masonry) helps create a better seal because the sealant penetrates deeper into the gaps.
4. Apply sealant: Insert a PL Window, Door & Siding cartridge into your caulk gun, then position the tip along the gaps to be filled. Apply a continuous bead of sealant to seal gaps around windows, doors, and other areas. Use a moistened putty knife to flatten the sealant and press it deeper into the crevice.
Pro tip: Use a backer rod to fill larger cracks before applying sealant. This reduces the temptation to apply multiple beads of sealant to a single crack. Layering caulk over large gaps can cause cracking after drying, compromising the seal's quality and effectiveness.
5. Allow to cure and inspect the results: Leave the newly applied sealant to dry completely. PL Window, Door & Siding cures fully within seven days. Afterward, inspect your work to confirm that all gaps and cracks have been properly sealed.
6. Apply a new coat of paint: If you are satisfied with the results, you can paint over the surface of the sealant after it is tack-free to create a uniform look across your home’s exterior.
As a professional-grade sealant, this product is designed to create permanent seals in all exterior cracks and gaps. Key reasons to choose it include:
1. Long-lasting, flexible seal: Offering ±25% movement capability, this elastic sealant resists cracking by remaining permanently flexible. With it in place, you don’t have to worry about sealed gaps opening again due to house settling or the natural expansion and contraction of building materials over time.
2. Weatherproof: PL Window, Door & Siding can withstand prolonged direct exposure to the elements without losing its strength or effectiveness. Designed for harsh exterior environments, it offers exceptional resistance to ozone and UV for lasting results.
3. Paintable: After filling all exterior gaps with this product, you can easily paint over them to achieve a sleek, uniform finish that preserves your home’s aesthetic appeal.
4. Low VOC: This sealant uses a low-VOC formulation for safe, eco-friendly use. As a CARB (California Air Resources Board)-compliant product, it meets strict state and federal regulations.