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| Weather Stripping |
| This exclusive DIY kit demonstrates how to weather strip your home. |
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Materials: Weather stripping
Caulk
Caulk gun
Tin snips
Utility knife
Hammer
Nails
Scissors
Tape measure - Before starting, carefully inspect your house for gaps and holes that may allow the heating and cooling to escape, which may be allowing water and insects to enter.
Note: Weather stripping is best for sealing around doors and windows, and there are a variety of options to choose from. - Foam weather stripping is easy to install: Simply cut the stripping to length, press the sticky side down (figure A) and peel off the plastic liner. The window should have a nice, snug fit.
- Around doors a more durable compression weather stripping can be used by cutting metal strips to length with tin snips and tacking them in place with nails.
- If you have larger gaps, wooden or metal strips with vinyl inserts (figure B) can be used. Just cut the strips to length and nail them to the frame flush with the doorjamb.
- When plugging larger holes and cracks, it's best to use caulking. Inspect potential problem areas where different building materials meet and around vents, pipes or wire entrances. Simply insert your caulk tube into a caulking gun, snip off the end with a utility knife and puncture the membrane inside the tube with a sharp object.
- Push the plunger snugly against the heel of the tube. Pull the trigger to release the caulk (figure C) and pull the gun across the gap, pushing in where needed to help force caulk into the joint.
Weather stripping and caulking your home will not only keep the elements out, but it will help reduce your energy costs.
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