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PAGE 2 | FEBRUARY 2012 Caulk up the Savings By Robert A. Dickleman T


he greatest sources of heating and cooling losses in your home are often invisible air leaks. As a result, controlling


air leaks provides the best way to extend the life of your home, conserve energy, save money, and increase comfort. Bottom line? If you don’t tighten up your home first, money spent on insulation may be wasted. Fortunately, you can seal a lot of leaks around your home’s


Common Caulking Compounds Caulk Type Silicone


Recommended Uses


Seals most dissimilar building materials such as wood, stone, vinyl, metal fl ashing and brick


Polyurethane, expandable spray foam


Expands when curing. Good for larger cracks. Use in non-friction areas, because foam becomes dry and powdery over time.


Water-based spray foam


Around window and door frames in new construction or remodeling projects; smaller cracks


Butyl rubber


Seals most dissimilar materials such as glass, metal, plastic, wood and concrete. Seals around windows and fl ashing; bonds loose shingles


Oil or resin-based


Seals exterior seams and joints on almost all building materials


exterior with less than $100 worth of caulk. It’s generally possible to seal openings up to one-quarter inch between window frames and siding or around door frames. For larger gaps, add a backing material before caulking, or use a spray foam sealant instead. Most types of outdoor caulk are sold in tubes that fit a caulking


gun. In addition, some caulks come in aerosol cans; they’re a good choice for filling gaps up to one-half inch around pipes and wires.


Cleanup Shrinkage Adhesion Comments


Immediately with dry cloth and mineral spirits or naphtha


Immediately with solvent such as lacquer thinner


Water


Little or none


Good to excellent


Permits joints to stretch or compress. Will stick to painted surfaces, but paint will not adhere to most cured silicones.


None; expands quite a bit


Good to excellent


Quickly expands to fi t larger, irregularly shaped gaps. Flexible. Can be applied at variable temperatures. Must be painted for exterior use to protect from ultraviolet radiation.


None; expands only 25%


Good to excellent


Takes 24 hours to cure to a soft consistency. Will not overexpand to bend window frames. Must be exposed to air to dry. Not useful for larger gaps, as curing becomes diffi cult.


Mineral spirits or naphtha


5%-30% Good


Lasts 10 or more years. Resilient, but not brittle. Can be painted after one week. Variable shrinkage may require two applications. Does not adhere well to painted surfaces.


Mineral spirits or naphtha


10%-20% Good


Low cost. Rope and tube forms available. Oils dry out and cause material to harden and fall out. Low durability; lasts 1-4 years. Poor adhesion to porous surfaces such as masonry. Should be painted. Limited temperature range.


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