Newly built or not, houses have small gaps between doors and windows where heat and cold air may escape. These crevices are often the reason why your home consumes more energy in cooling or heating than it should. Fortunately, caulking in Adelaide can help in preventing this unnecessary energy loss.
Properly sealing your home can affect about half of your energy consumption. That’s why it’s important to detect leaks as early as possible. Some gaps and cracks are easy to find which typically appear on doors and windows. However, some are so much less obvious and are trickier to find. In fact, they may even need a caulking specialist to be detected. But don’t worry, we have listed down easy steps on how to detect those hard to find leaks.
How to detect leaks
Detecting air leakage is best done during a windy day. So when the weather becomes your friend, carry out this guide:
- Switch Off Your Air Conditioning Unit
The airflow that AC promotes is calmer, contrary to what we need which is a gust of wind. - Switch On Your Fans and Vents
Turning your fans and vents will create a stronger airflow which is what you’ll need to identify where the leak is. - Make Sure to Close All Your Windows and Doors
When you have turned on your fans and vents, make sure all windows and doors are closed so the air inside the house can be predictable. - Light an Incense
Using the smoke of the incense, pass through the edges of your walls, corners, doors, and windows. Whenever the smoke gets sucked or blown, the area leaks.
Common types of caulking
There are four most common types of caulking material that are proven helpful but not in equal ways. Most of them come in a 10-ounce cartridge while others come in tubes. It is generally applied using a caulking gun depending on the type of product you’re using. Learn about them through the list below:
- Latex Caulk
This type of caulk can be painted over and is usually used around doors and windows. It is cost-efficient and easy to work with so it’s best for DIYers. However, latex caulk is not advisable to be used on bathroom and kitchen doors and windows. - Silicone Caulk
Silicone Caulk is best used for the bathroom, kitchen and even on your exterior as it is durable, versatile and extremely adhesive. For this reason, it is best used for areas exposed to moisture and direct sunlight. However, silicone cannot be painted over as it is designed to perform effectively without any foreign element on it. - Polyurethane Caulk
This caulking material is known to be stronger than other sealants, therefore, can be harder to work with. It has outstanding adhesion and extreme versatility as it can be installed even on damp surfaces. - Hybrid Caulk
Hybrid Caulking product is a mix of both technology as it can be painted on, highly durable, can be used on your home’s exterior, and in any kind of surface
While there’s no harm in opting to DIY all the checking of leakage and installation of sealant, opting for caulking services can save you more time and energy. Call us to avoid stress by skipping the legwork.