Clinton News-Record, 1985-10-09, Page 48u'!
Sealing air leaks with caulking
can reduce your heat bilis
Sealing air leaks with caulking is an effec-
tive way to reduce your heating bills and
avoid hidden condensation problems. There
are many products on the market today and
each one performs differently, so assess
your needs carefully before you buy- Once
you have decided on the appropriate caulk-
' ing, keep these tips in mind and you'll have
a seal that will last.
Caulking is applied only on fixed joints.
For example; Caulking would be applied
around a window but not between its moving
parts. Take the -time tocompare products in
the store, and ask for advice and assistance
from store personnel or building and insula-
tion contractors who use these products
regularly.
Avoid cheap caulking. A cheap oil- based
sealant may contain lower grades of oil, and
ore likely to dry, shrink and crack.
terior caulking can be done any time of
year, but often the job will require air-
ing, so doors and windows will have to be
kept open. If you are caulking windows in
winter, be especially careful that working
areas are dry.
The best way to caulk is to remove old
Choose the
proper caulking
for thejob-
Whether. you hire a contractor for draft-
proofing.services or do the work yourself, it
is important to know something -about the
materials available for doing the job right.
Although there are many types of caulking
on the market, some of them are particular-
ly suited to interior use.
The three qualities that consumers look
for in an interior caulking are lack of colour
so that the original paint will show through,
lack of odour while curing, and paintability
if the area needs repainting.
But there are other important considera-
tions. How easy is' application of the caulk-
' ? How easily can you clean -up after a
1 or whenthe work is finished? How
ckly will -it cure? Would you prefer a
. sealant that cures quickly so that you don't
have to wait, or one that cures slowly so that
it is easy to fix mistakes? And finally, what
about price? -
Generally, everything is relative to the
cost and you basically get what you pay for.
Health and Welfare Canada suggests the
"use .of acrylic latex inside the home, because
It .doesn't give off gas as much as other
popular sealants. Many contractors recom-
mend the use of acrylic latex, -silicone or
hybrid -caulking, depending on the amount
of structural movement in your home, and
how easy it will be to air the -room while you
work and afterwards.
Acrylic Latex
• paintable
• reasonably durable, with 5 to 10 per cent
shrinkage, so' it is suitable for joints where
little movement takes place.
• • semi -water-soluble, easy to clean up or
"fix mistakes
• cures slowly.
Silicon
• long-lasting, durable, high-performance
sealant, with 0 to 3 per cent shrinkage
• available in mildew - and moisture -
resistant types
• clear or coloured
• cures quickly, but is very hard to clean
• moderately expensive.
. • mild odour
• generally speaking not paintable, but
some paintable types are available
Hybrid Seal
• based on high-quality synthetic rubber
• clear or coloured
• odourless
• paintable
• 5 to 10 per cent shrinkage
sealants completely* from the surface, put
on the new caulking and paint afterwards.
The caulking is only as good as the surface
you are applying it to.
Another consideration is the amount of
structural movement in your home. On
baseboards, most of the products available
will work, but if you suspect that there is a
lot of movement in your house, you should
pick a caulking that is 'very flexible and
durable.
Caulking is available in three forms —
semi-liquid, solid and foam. The semiliquid
is sold in tubes or in bulk and is applied with
a gun. Because .it is sometimes difficult to
stop the flow, keep a rag handy. Solid caulk-
ing is a roll of rope or cord, good for difficult
areas because it can be applied slowly.
Foam sealants come in aerosol spray cans
and are good for large openings, but
because the cans are pressurized they can
be difficult to use.
A good seal depends on smooth applica-
tion, ensuring that the caulking is pushed
against the surface to get good adhesion,
and the use of a product that remains flexi-
ble and can accommodate movement. As
you make the effort to do the job right, think
about all the time you will save by not hav-
ing to replace inferior caulking that wasn't
properly applied.
p;.
Page i
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