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Sealing Your Home

Caulking can reduce heating and cooling costs and improve comfort in your home.

Caulking can reduce heating and cooling costs and improve comfort in your home.

Air leakage, or infiltration, occurs when outside air enters a house uncontrollably through cracks and openings. Properly air sealing can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment. In addition to air sealing, you'll also want to consider adding additional insulation and moisture control and ventilation strategies to ensure your home is comfortable and efficient.

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Detecting Air Leaks
For a thorough and accurate measurement of air leakage in your home, hire a qualified technician to conduct an energy assessment, particularly a blower door test.

You may already know where some air leakage occurs in your home, such as an under-the-door draft, but you'll need to find the less obvious gaps to properly air seal your home.

Air Sealing Your Home
Save on heating and cooling costs by checking for air leaks in common trouble spots in your home.

Reducing air leakage in your home saves money and energy.

Air Sealing for New Home Construction
Sealing Your Home

Learn about the best techniques and materials for minimizing air leakage when building a new home.

Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping doors, operable windows, and other movable building components can save homeowners money by reducing utility bills.

Weatherstripping doors, operable windows, and other movable building materials will reduce your heating and cooling costs.

Caulking
Applying caulk to a window frame to prevent air leakage. This caulk is white when applied, and dries clear. | Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/BanksPhotos.

Caulking can reduce heating and cooling costs and improve comfort in your home.

Living Comfortably: A Consumer’s Guide to Home Energy Upgrades
A weatherization worker drills holes to blow cellulose insulation in the interior walls of this home. | Photo courtesy of Dennis Schroeder, NREL

A four-step guide to making your home more comfortable, energy efficient and healthy.