As the cooler seasons approach, make sure you keep your Yuma area home as comfortable as possible by addressing the dodgy drafts and hidden cracks you may have overlooked during warmer weather. Sealing air leaks will help ensure your home is as energy efficient as possible throughout the year.
One of the simplest ways to address these sneaky energy suckers is through simple caulking. Even if you have never done any home repairs before, caulking is a relatively simple process that most people can handle on their own. Caulk is si
mply a flexible material used to seal air leaks resulting from cracks and gaps less than a quarter-inch wide.
Before you get started, though, you’ll need to know a few caulk basics. The first step is locating the air leaks in your home. In addition to locating existing leaks, you should assess the air quality within your home to make sure you’re not sealing in harmful fumes and vapors – such as formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide and radon – that can threaten your health.
The next step in the process is selecting the caulk you need for the project. Caulk can be purchased either in disposable cartridges that fit into caulking guns or pressurized cartridges that do not require a caulking gun. It’s simple a matter of preference. For smaller jobs, you may decide to go with a caulking compound in a squeeze tube or aerosol can. Regardless of what you decide, make sure you purchase enough to complete the job.
Caulk also varies in strength and properties. Some are water-based compounds while others are solvent based. To help you decide which caulking compound is best for the job, online tables are readily available, or you can ask a knowledgeable hardware clerk and/or look at the product’s label.
Now that you understand a few caulk basics, you’re well on the way to preparing your home for those unseasonably cool days that sometimes occur in Southwest Arizona during the fall and winter seasons. To make sure your home is fully prepared for the cooler weather ahead, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Co.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about caulk basics and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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