18 - Friday, December 23, 1988 - North Shore News 7ARDEN taeiaaa IF YOU'RE interested in improv- ing the energy efficiency and com- fort of your home, draftproofing should be your first priority. This low-cost home improve- ment project is ideal for both skill- ed and novice do-it-yourselfers but requires some care in product selection and application. Draftproofing involves sealing unwanted cracks and penetrations in the exterior walls. Sealing the routes by which warm irdoor ais can escape from your home will eliminate a costly source of heat loss. As much as 30 per cent of the total heat loss can be traced to warm air leaking to the outdoors. Sealing air leaks will also make your home more comfortable by eliminating cold drafts caused by incoming winter air. Finding the air leaks: Draftproofing begins with a careful examination of the inside surfaces of your exterior walls and ceiling to identify the areas through which air can enter and leave the home. Common air leakage sites in- clude: © where the exterior walls meet the foundation (sill plate) ® where electrical, plumbing, or heating service lines penetrate the building sheil *around door and window frames © around electrical outlets on ex- terior walls *around the joints between walls and the ceiling . © along baseboards - *around attic hatches and lighting fixtures *® around fireplaces and exhaust fans © around chimneys and plumb- ing stacks. A thorough visual inspection will usually be sufficient to identify most of the cracks which need to be sealed. However, you can also use what is called a flutter test to identify less apparent leaks. Simply take a tissue, candle, or smoke source such as an incense stick and move it slowing around the interior of the outside walls, preferably on cold windy days. A flutter of the tissue, flame or smoke indicates an air leak. Once you ’ve located the air leakage sites, the next step is to determine which sealing material is appropriate for the draftproofing job. Caulking, weatherstripping, or both may be required. Caulking: Cautking is used to seal joints or cracks where two surfaces meet but do not move reluiive to each other, such as at a sill plate or a plumbing penetration. It’s a low cost energy conserva- tion measure which should pay for itself in reduced heating costs within a year or two, especially if you do it yourself. Caulking to reduce air leakage should be installed on the inside of your house. This will help prevent warm, moist air from getting into the attic and wall cavities, where it can condense and cause moisture damage to insulation and building materials. Leaving the outside surface of the wall unsealed (except to pre- vent water entry) also provides an escape route for any moisture which enters the building shell from inside your house. Once you determine where and when you’re going to caulk, the next step is to purchase the re- quired materials. Compare the relative merits of a variety of materials. The product you choose should be durable and suitable for indoor use. Make sure it will adhere to the surfaces in- volved, and thai it can be painted over if n A high quality material may cost slightly more, but it will also be easier to apply and should last longer than cheaper materials. Caulking materials come in three broad categories: semi-liquid, solid, and foam. Semi-liquid caulking, the most common material, comes in tubes and is ‘applied with a caulking gun. It is appropriate for sealing joints of varying widths, depen- ding on the type of sealant, backer requirements and the amount of movement the joint is likely to ex- perience. Read the fabel for the manufacturer’s recommendations. Solid caulking comes in a roll of rope or cord and is designed for hard-te-caulk areas such as the corners of windows and gaps which are too wide for semi-liquid caulking alone. Installation usually involves pressing the zope or cord into the crack to be filled as the rope or cord is unwound. When the job is finished, the roll is broken off. Foam sealants are sold in aerosol cans and are similar in ap- pearance to shaving cream. They are useful for sealing sill plates, shim spaces around windows and exterior doors, and other openings that are tvo large for conventional caulking. Because they are pressurized and expand rapidly when applied, they can be difficult to use. Foam sealants deteriorate when exposed to sunlight, so they should be suitably protected after applica- tion. As well, these materials are a WE HAVE MOVED TO 39S Mountain Hwy. North Vancouver “Serving the North Shore Simce 1955” For all your: Plumbing Heating, Electrical and Industrial Supplies SEE THE PROFESSIONALS AT boartie & gitson co. ltd. 988-4141 fire hazard if not covered by a fire resistant material such as gypsum board. Beware of contact with sur- rounding furnishings and ciothing, as the foam is very hard to remove. Read the manufacturer’s North Shore i Z SxRegency Dealer @ f Only $595 Winter's Hefe—BUY NOW! Next, add the OFS-1A Compact Dise Player, Nakamichi's entry- & fevel CD Piayer featuring 16 bit DIA Conversion and 2X-Oversampling Digital Filtering with 5th-Order Active Analog Fiiter. Again, instructions carefully before using foam sealants. Weatherstripping: Weatherstripping is used to reduce air leakage at joints formed by movable parts of the building raftproofing improves energy efficiency shell such as windows, doors, and attic hatches. 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