Caulking was not created for bathrooms alone. If you’re interested in weatherizing your home and need to keep the cost of doing so to a minimum, buy some fresh caulk and get the cobwebs off your caulk gun. There are spaces and gaps all over the exterior of your home that are just waiting to be filled – and you might just be surprised at how many you find – according to Andy, Chicago Exterior Painting Contractor. Grab your caulk gun and take a walk outside.
First, take a look at all your utility lines. Electric, telephone, cable and satellite all require utility lines to tunnel into your home. Holes are drilled into your home that let your utility lines in along with unwanted cold air. But that’s not all. The passageway for gas pipes, water pipes and sewer pipes are harbors for subways of air loss to run through. Remember that there will be more than one entranceway for many of these utility lines and pipes. Find the exterior entranceway for all of your utility piping and wiring, and caulk the gaps closed.
That’s just the beginning. Now you’re going to look for exterior electrical fixtures to seal. Exterior light fixtures usually need some caulk around the base. Exterior electric receptacles need caulk around the box, even though they have a gasket between the cover plate and the electrical box. Dryer vents, fans and roof vents can always use some caulk around the edges to seal things up, and you’ll probably need some caulk to tighten up the seal on your air-conditioner.
Modern electricity isn’t the largest culprit to induce air loss. Take a look at your windows, then grab a ladder. Old peeling caulk needs to be removed and replaced. You can cut the old caulk with a utility knife to get a good start on a strip. Pull the old caulk off gently and dust off the area. Prime the area with an exterior primer, and make sure you prime the nearby exposed wood. Once the primer dries, you can re-caulk the area. After you have re-caulked the window area and the caulk has dried, you can brush on a coat or two of paint. Once you’ve caulked the window edges and frames, do the same for door frames.
If you have any extensions on your house, such as a deck, front porch, or an added on room, take a look at where the joint meets the main house – you might be able to squeeze some caulk in there. While you’re at it, look where the house siding meets the foundation and see if there isn’t room for caulking improvement. When you get off the ground, look around at all of your siding. Wherever a joint meets a stone or brick wall, at corners, or where two different sizes of siding meets – check to see if there’s room to caulk. You might as well caulk up any nails and scratches in the siding since you’re in the area.
Once you take a look around you might feel your house is no more than a window screen holding the heat in, and the job may seem overwhelming. Rest assured that if you fill your exterior gaps with caulk, you’ll fill your pockets with energy savings. Just use your anger at the cost of your heating and cooling bills to motivate you to get the job done – you can’t do any harm with a caulking gun.
Atomic Painting, Inc. – Chicago Exterior Painters.