Sealing common air leakage points in your home can reduce energy consumption and make for a cozier living space. This DIY guide lists ways of weatherproofing your home for winter using specific spray foam insulation products.
The importance of keeping your home warm and cozy grows as winter weather arrives and temperatures drop. Even though the heating system is vital, your home’s insulation plays a crucial role in maintaining a warm indoor environment.
Cold winter weather exposes insulation gaps and cold drafts. Without proper insulation, the heating system works harder, leading to higher energy costs and temperature imbalances.
Weatherproofing your home goes a long way toward keeping your home cozy and minimizing energy consumption.
During winter, heat loss occurs when warm air escapes from your house through tiny gaps and cracks around doors and windows, the basement, the attic, and the walls. This causes higher energy consumption as the heating system kicks into overdrive, trying to replace the lost heat.
Spray foam insulation addresses this issue in two key ways. It expands to fill small gaps and cracks, forming an airtight seal around your home. Additionally, spray foam has a higher R-value (thermal resistance measure) than traditional insulation materials. This results in better thermal resistance, reduced energy use, and lower heating costs.
Winterizing your home doesn’t have to be expensive. You can still enjoy the benefits of an airtight house by fixing common insulation issues that lead to significant heat loss.
Continue reading to learn how to weatherproof your home on a budget.
Windows and doors are major sources of heat loss in a home. Pests and cold air can enter through small cracks and gaps in the walls and frames. To find problem areas, look for signs of air leakage and heat escape, such as ice or frost on windows. You can also check for drafts by feeling around the frame or by looking for light coming in from outside.
If you find any gaps, use a low-expansion foam like Loctite TITE FOAM Window & Door, which is designed to expand and fill these spaces without applying too much pressure and causing the frame to warp. Ensure that you get the foam deep into the gap for a reliable seal. Once the foam is dry, use a utility knife to cut away any excess.
Utility openings that go through walls also leave small gaps that may remain unaddressed. When temperatures take a dip, these openings can become major points of heat loss. Go through your home and locate all unsealed utility openings. For cracks and gaps up to one inch wide, you can seal them up with Loctite TITE FOAM Gaps & Cracks and prevent any air leakage.
For applications requiring a fire-stop, you must use a fire-rated insulation foam like Loctite Fire Block Foam. In addition to being fire-rated, the product is orange in color to make it easy to spot on the site and during inspections.
Since warm air naturally rises, sealing attic penetrations is one of the most effective methods to stop heat loss. Gaps and cracks around wiring, chimneys, and vents can be serious sources of air leakage in an insulated attic. Use spray foam insulation to stop air from escaping from your living area.
You can use a product like Loctite TITE FOAM Gaps & Cracks (and Loctite Fire Block Foam where required by code) to seal gaps and cracks around vent ducts and pipes. Remember to seal gaps around attic window frames, the attic door hatch, and all openings for plumbing lines and electrical cables.
Is your garage attached to your home? If so, it can be a significant point of air leakage that must be addressed as cold weather approaches. Some of the main points of concern include wall penetrations, vents, and frames around entry doors and the garage door.
To seal larger openings all over your garage and around frames, you will need a product like Loctite TITE FOAM Big Gaps. It is designed to fill wider gaps without compromising effectiveness.
In many homes, rim joists and crawl spaces are commonly left unsealed. The rim joist area is located between the floor framing and the foundation. When left unsealed, cold air can enter the home, causing cold drafts.
Use spray foam insulation to block air flow and prevent moisture penetration. This helps create a cozy indoor living space while also stopping condensation and mold growth. For this job, you can use Loctite TITE FOAM Big Gaps to air seal larger hard-to-reach spaces around the rim joist. To efficiently cover larger uninsulated spaces within the rim-joist cavity, combine this air sealing with rigid or fiberglass insulation.
Exterior wall penetrations like vents, piping, and cracks in the foundation and exterior walls can lead to air leakage and moisture penetration. Insects and rodents can also make their way into your home using these gaps and spaces.
For this application, you will need a specially formulated product like Loctite TITE FOAM Pest Block, which is designed to prevent air leakage while also keeping pests from entering your home and building nests as they escape the cold outside weather.