Spray Foam Insulation Kits

 

The exterior of your home is called the "envelope" or shell. The insulation, outer walls, ceiling, door, windows, and floors all work together to control airflow in and out of the home structure, repel moisture, and prevent heat from being lost or gained weather inside or outside the door of your home.

Always air sealing door & windows strip before adding insulation, then sealing up holes, weather strip door, caulk pipes and wires, weather strip and insulate attic floors, basements, and crawl space walls in your home. Any air sealing efforts will complement your insulation efforts, and vice versa. Proper moister control and ventilation srategies will improve the effectiveness of air sealing and insulation, and vice versa. Moldy and dusty air can enter a leaky home through such areas as attics door strip or foundations due to weather. This air in the home could cause health problems.

The recommended sealing strategy in both new and old homes is to reduce air leakage as much as possible and to provide controlled ventilation  and insulation as needed.

Air leakage, or infiltration, occurs when outside air enters a home uncontrollably through cracks and openings. Properly air sealing, insulation & strip, such cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment.

First, make a list of obvious air leaks (weather drafts). The potential l energy savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5 to 30% per year, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward.

Expanding Spray Foam

 

Check for in door air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring and at junctures of the walls and ceiling. Check to see if air can flow through these places:

·         Electrical outlets

·         insulation

·         Door strip

·         Switch plates

·         Window frames

·         Baseboard strip

·         Weather strip around door

·         Fireplace dampers

·         Attic hatches

·         Wall- or window-mounted air conditioner.

Also look for gaps around pipes and wires, electrical outlets, foundation seals, insulation, Door strip and mail slots in your home. Check to see if the caulking and weather striping are applied properly, leaving no gaps or cracks, and are in good condition.

Inspect windows and doors for air leaks. See if you can rattle them, since movement means possible air leaks. If you can see daylight around a door strip or window frame, then the door or window leaks. You can usually seal these leaks by caulking or weather strip them. Check the home storm windows to see if they fit and are not broken. You may also wish to consider replacing your old windows and door(s) with newer, high-performance ones. If new factory made door strip or windows are too costly, you can install low-cost plastic sheets over the windows insulation.

If you are having difficulty locating weather leaks, you may want to conduct a basic building pressurization test: Home Blower Door test