11 Home Insulation Strategies

Proper ventilation is a good thing. Uncontrolled air seeping in through cracks and holes in your home isn’t. Seal up those drafty leaks and make sure everything’s properly insulated for energy conservation, cost savings and a comfortable, healthier home.

Three trouble spots to tackle:

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*.

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****.

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.

* Energy Star

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

*** Minnesota Department of Commerce

**** Energy Star

***** Energy Star