Because this type of foam can be sprayed directly onto the surfaces that contribute to heat loss, they work well when insulating difficult, high-heat-loss areas of the house, such as the eaves and band joist. One such product, DOW Building Solutions FROTH-PAK™ Foam Insulation, is a two-component, low-pressure polyurethane spray foam that expands to fill cavities, penetrations, and cracks greater than 2”. Don’t use standard foam it is apt to expand to the point that it bends the jambs and causes window and doors to bind.įor the most ambitious, two-part foam kits that blow the thick, expansive material that professional foaming contractors use to insulate whole houses is an option. If you feel up to doing the work, you can remove the casing around windows and exterior doors and spray low-pressure foam into the gap between the jambs and wood framing. Next, with the power off, remove all electrical interior wall plates for switches and outlets and install thin foam gaskets to stop infiltration. If there’s enough space to accommodate the tip of the caulk cartridge or the nozzle of the foam sealant, also plug the holes (called knockouts) where wires enter junction boxes. Apply caulk or expanding foam sealant into the holes. If the attic is unfinished, make sure that the power is off and pull up the insulation surrounding the places where plumbing and wiring penetrate the top plate of the walls below. Remove ceiling light fixtures, heat registers, and bathroom fan covers so that you can caulk the spaces between them and the ceiling drywall. To plug the holes between the attic and the rooms below, begin by shutting off the power with the appropriate circuit breakers. Also, warm household air rises and creates a "chimney effect": the rising warm air exits through leaks in the attic while cold air enters through lower leaks, such as around the front door. Cold air can blow right through most insulation, and leaks to the interior through recessed ceiling lights, bathroom fans, and heat registers are likely. ![]() Attic insulation works to lower thermal transfer, but it has relatively little effect on airflow. Even insulation in the attic doesn’t guarantee a sufficient air barrier. They typically have large openings for ventilation and yet aren’t sealed off from the living space below. You’d lose no time in fixing this leak, but air infiltration is much less likely to get our attention.Īttics are the leakiest part of the house. In the interior of your home, it helps to picture air infiltration as water seeping into your house through small leaks and then dripping onto the dining room table. It’s a very effective sealer but it can also expand so much that it makes an ugly, foamy mess on your beautiful siding. Apply a carefully aimed caulking gun around the penetration, but be careful when using expanding foam insulation. The easiest place to do this is on the exterior of the house during construction, but you can still improve an existing home by inspecting the exterior walls and sealing penetrations, especially where pipes come into the house, such as at meter locations. Sealing is all about plugging those holes and cracks. Indirect leaks occur where air penetrates the exterior at one location and the interior at another, such as where warm, indoor air is sucked through plugs and switch plates and into the cold attic. ![]()
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