Close the Gap!
Mar 17th, 2009 | By Greg Primm | Category: Air Leaks, Lead, Low Cost Tips
I read an article the other day that said the average home has enough small gaps and cracks leaking air in/out of your house to add up to a 6-10 square foot hole in the side of your home!
Imagine that, a hole big enough to walk through! If that were the case, you would certainly take the time to address the problem. But most of us won’t spend the time to plug the small gaps around our homes.
The prescription? Take a Saturday morning to fix the problem. Get a few cans of Great Stuff foam sealant and go to work. Here are a few key places to look for gaps to fill:
- Below your kitchen/bathroom sinks. The plumbers often cut holes much bigger than necessary when installing the sinks. Fill any extra space with foam.
- Large gaps around electric outlets/switches. Remove cover plates and fill large gaps between the electrical box and sheetrock.
- Space where dryer vent goes through wall behind your dryer.
- Gaps around air vents.
Just a few hours and just a few dollars can plug the gaps and save you big money on your heating and cooling bills.
Photo credit: jovike
[...] Using this information, you can then attack the air leaks, plugging up the holes and saving big money in the process. I wrote about sealing air leaks last month, here. [...]