weatherstripping

Weatherstripping is the process of sealing openings in your home such as doors and windows from the elements. Sealing your home in order to avoid losing the heat you pay for is one of the best energy investments you can make.  Most experts estimate that simple insulating projects like caulking and weather stripping will pay for themselves in less than a year.  Weatherstripping not only saves you energy but it just makes your house more comfortable by eliminating cold drafts during the winter and hot spots during the summer months. It is also one of those energy saving projects that is very easy to do yourself.

Types of Weather Stripping

There are now a wide variety of products available to help homeowners weather strip and seal their doors and windows.  Listed below are some of the more common types of weather stripping and caulking:

Caulk - Caulk is a silicone or latex sealant that comes in tubes or cartridges designed for a caulk gun.  Caulk tends to be very long lasting and is adaptable to many types of sealing situations.  Applying caulk with a gun can take some practice but once you get the feel of it you will find you can create a nice even seam.  The key is to push the caulk rather than pull it when it comes out of the gun.  This ensures that the caulk is pushed deep into the gaps.

Rope Caulk -  Rope caulk is simply silicone or latex caulk that has been pre-shaped into a long cord.  This makes it very easy to apply.  You just place the rope along the seam and press it into place.  The ropes can be purchased in different widths depending upon what you need to do.

Vinyl and Metal Weather Strips - There are many types of vinyl weather strips that can be used to weather strip doors and windows.  Some of these come with felt along the edge to make a better seal. Most already have a adhesive strip which makes them easy to install though some metal types are designed to be installed with screws or tacks.

Backer Rods - A backer rod is a foam strip (its not actually a rod) that can be used to fill cracks that are wider than 3/8 inch but les than a half an inch.  To use it you simply lay the rod along the seam you want to seal and push it in to the crack with either a screwdriver or a putty knife.

Tape - There are several brands of weather stripping that come in rolls like tape.  They have an adhesive edge that makes them easy to apply.

Expanding Foam - Expanding foam comes in a spray can.  You can use it to fill in gaps or holes that are too big for caulk or traditional weather stripping.  A good place to use it is to fill in the inside areas of door jams or in between the window and the studs that make up the window frame.  Foam can be made of polyurethane or latex.  When they say expanding foam they are not kidding.  The foam expands rather dramatically and hardens very quickly when exposed to air so you it carefully and sparingly.  If there is overflow you can cut it away with a utility knife once it has expanded.