Energy use in a home is largely influenced by how much air you heat or cool, which is largely a matter of how much air leaks into your home, notably around windows. To make improvements in this area, think of the task in two steps; find the cracks, fill the cracks.
There are two basic ways of finding gaps and cracks:
· The gold standard is the blower door method, which is exactly what it sounds like.
a. A solid panel is fitted in an exterior door and sealed to the frame.
b. A fan in this panel is turned on and depressurizes the house, which causes air to flow through any leak in the house.
c. A smoke tube can then easily detect leaks for later sealing. The blower door is a common tool for energy auditors.
· If you prefer a do-it-yourself approach, then a good visual inspection can yield excellent results. The key is to know where to look. One approach is to think of the house as a solid envelope around an enclosed space. Any place where two materials join is a potential leak and should be inspected. Windows are the major target.
a. Start with the outer edge of the window. Look at how the window case fits in the house. If rot is present, remove it, clean up, install new wood, caulk, and repaint.
b. Next look at the window itself. It should move easily in the case. If old paint or debris is in the way, clean it out. It may be as simple as using a good household cleaner or scrapping a bit.
c. Once the window track is clean and seems to be well fitting, look at how the window latches. The latch should close completely, without a struggle. If it does not, the window is not seated properly. This may be from swelling of the wood and require a little sanding.
d. The next area for leakage is the glass itself. If the pane is cracked, air will move through the glass. Replace it. If the pane is loose, then air is probably moving around the windows. Fixing this problem may require replacing wood holding the glass or applying a small bit of caulk. Since caulk is a major tool in making windows air-tight, a little thought about application should be given. The two keys are preparing the surface and properly applying the caulk. Remove any old caulk or other debris.
e. Spray the surface with a household cleaner and wipe clean. The goal is to provide a good clean surface. Any debris or loose material on the surface can result in the caulk failing. Proper application is a matter of having the right size of caulk bead, which is just big enough to do the job. You can select from a multitude of energy saving products for the home, such as the Accura Acrylic Latex Caulk Sealant.
Window leaks can add hundreds of dollars to the energy cost of a typical home. The price of finding and sealing leaks can be fairly modest. Mostly this task is a commitment of time. With a bit of patience and by paying attention to the details, your efforts will result in significant saving and a more comfortable home.