11 Home Insulation Strategies

The attic

Since hot air rises, the attic is a prime candidate for escaping air.
 

• Find and caulk and leaks. Stained or frosty spots are clear giveaways that there’s a covered-up leak. Find it, caulk it, let dry, then re-cover with insulation*.
• Seal light fixtures and fans below an unheated attic. Add airtight boxes to cover recessed fixtures from the attic side. For flush-mount fixtures, use spray foam to close any electrical box cracks. Make sure to disconnect the power until foam cures.
• Weather-strip your attic access panel. Glue foam-board insulation to the back of the hatch, too**.
• Seal all the attic floor’s holes. Use caulk or spray foam to close up spaces around pipes, vents, wire and more. Replace old “knob and tube” or broken wires first*.

Windows and doors

Planned openings in your home make it much easier for air to escape or sneak in.
 

• Seal all window edges with caulk. If windowpanes, frames or hardware are damaged, repair or replace.
• Install 3M™ Window Insulator Kits to keep cold drafts out and warm air in. They’re available in a variety of sizes, are easy to install, have the clearest film and stay up all season long.
• Install sweeps at door bottoms, and weather-strip all around. Do so on doors leading outside, as well as to unheated areas, such as the garage or a three-season porch***.
• Install storm windows over existing energy inefficient windows. They’re cheaper than getting new windows, and can have the same insulating effect. Look for the kind with low-e coating****.

Basement

Outside air can find its way into cracks, and then sneak up into the rest of your home.
 

• Seal your home’s “rim joist” with expanding foam or masonry caulk. It’s the leak-prone place where the cement foundation hits the wood frame. Seal foundation cracks, too.
• Close basement ceiling holes. Use caulk, spray foam or filler to fill up those spaces, such as around pipes, wires, ducts and more*****.
• Fill cracks around window frames. If the window’s not used as ventilation or a fire exit, you can caulk it permanently shut.

Sources:

* Energy Star

** Minnesota Department of Commerce (PDF, 8.10 MB)

*** Minnesota Department of Commerce

**** Energy Star

***** Energy Star