Want to save on energy costs and create a healthier indoor living space? Spray foam insulation for windows and doors allows you to seal drafty doors and windows yourself—no special skills required!
Windows and doors provide ventilation, natural light, and outdoor access. However, when poorly insulated, they become massive sources of heat gain and loss. During the warmer months, heat enters your home, and in colder months, warm air escapes through small gaps and cracks around windows and doors.
Moisture, dust, pollen, and even insects can enter your home through unsealed gaps around the windows and doors. This can lead to structural damage and significant health risks, especially for people who are susceptible to respiratory issues.
Window insulation foam is the perfect solution to these issues, helping you create a comfortable and draft-free home.
Loctite’s expanding foam for window insulation is designed to create a weather-tight seal around doors and windows, leading to the following benefits.
1. Enhanced indoor comfort: Window insulation foam is an excellent option for sealing hard-to-reach nooks and crannies at home. With the right products and processes, you can effectively seal your home, eliminating drafts and cold spots to create a comfortable indoor environment with consistent temperatures.
2. Improved energy efficiency: Gaps and cracks force your home’s heating and cooling system to work harder, wasting energy and money. By sealing these gaps, you can eliminate air leakages and enjoy the benefits of a more energy-efficient home.
3. Enhanced indoor air quality: Dust and allergens that enter your home through gaps around windows and doors can have a negative impact on indoor air quality. Insulation foam can help make your home airtight, boosting indoor air quality and creating a healthier living space.
4. Reduced external noise: If you live in a noisy neighborhood, next to an airport, busy road, or construction site, you can use spray foam insulation for windows to create a peaceful indoor environment. The insulating materials can significantly reduce outside noise.
Ready to start? Properly insulate your home’s doors and windows by following these steps.
1. Gather materials and tools: For this project, you will need:
- Safety goggles and gloves
- Utility knife
- Putty knife
- Pry bar
- Spray foam insulation – Loctite TITE FOAM Window & Door and Loctite Window & Door Pro Foam
- Step ladder
- Dispensing foam gun
2. Take off the trim: Carefully remove the interior trim to access the space between the frame and wall. Use a utility knife to cut any dried paint along the edge of the trim. Slide a putty knife under the trim, next to a nail, and pry it out carefully. While keeping the putty knife in place, wedge in a pry bar and pry it out an inch. Move on to the next nail and repeat the same process. Once you have pried out all the nails, return to the beginning and remove the trim.
Use new nails when re-installing the trim. Remember to use pliers to pull the old nails out through the back of the trim. This will help you avoid splintering the trim, which mostly occurs when you pull old nails out through the front.
If you are insulating windows on a new build, insulate windows and doors before installing trim.
3. Remove any loose insulation: After removing the trim, look for any loose insulation between the frame and wall and pull it out. You can use a utility knife to penetrate tiny gaps and cracks and remove problematic insulation.
4. Identify all gaps and cracks: Carefully inspect the perimeter around windows and doors and identify any gaps and cracks that need to be sealed.
5. Prepare the area to be sealed: Spray foam doesn’t adhere well to dirty or wet surfaces. Wipe away any dirt and debris using a dry cloth. Remember to dry any wet surfaces before applying window insulation foam.
6. Apply foam insulation: Once the surfaces are ready, put on your safety goggles and gloves and start sealing the gaps and cracks. Use Loctite TITE FOAM Window & Door to seal small gaps along the perimeter of windows. Before applying any foam, shake the can as directed and insert the applicator. When ready, hold the can upside down, put the applicator into one of the gaps or cracks to be sealed, and pull the trigger. Fill the gap up to 1/3 full, leaving room for the foam to expand.
For larger gaps around doors, use Loctite Window & Door Pro Foam. This high-yield capacity product is designed for use with standard foam gun applicators. To apply the foam, shake the can as directed, install it in your foam gun applicator, adjust the output to your needs, and insert the tip deep into larger gaps around exterior doors. Apply the foam evenly along the gap. Don’t be afraid to make a second pass along areas where more foam is needed to seal the gap completely.
7. Trim excess foam: Do not try to wipe off any excess foam, as it will make a mess. Instead, leave the foam to dry and use a utility knife to remove any excess protruding from the sealed gaps. Inspect the sealed areas. Once comfortable with the results, put the trim back in place.