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Air leaks between
your home's interior and the outdoors can be a constant drain of
energy and money
The air leakage in a typical U.S. home is equal to leaving a window
wide open. To stop these air leaks, all doors, standard windows and
vinyl replacement
windows should be weatherstripped; all seams, cracks, and
openings to the outside should be caulked or sealed.
Moisture control is also an important aspect of maintaining an
energy-efficient home. If humid air leaks into cool spaces, moisture
can condense on the cool surfaces and cause damage. In addition,
moist insulation has a lower R-value than dry insulation, so
moisture problems will lower your home's energy efficiency.
One aspect of moisture control is to seal air leaks around
electrical outlets, switches, and penetrations through the building
envelope for plumbing, wiring, ventilating, heating and cooling, and
attic access. For instance, a hot water pipe may pass from your
unheated basement up into your kitchen. Hardware stores sell a
variety of grouts and sealants to plug the gaps around pipes such as
these, as well as gaskets to install behind electrical outlets and
switches.
Vapor barriers (also called vapor retarders) are another form of
moisture control. Vapor barriers include polyethylene sheets,
low-perm-rated paints, laminated asphalt-covered building paper,
vinyl wall coverings, and foil-type wallpapers. Vapor barriers are
now routinely installed in walls during construction projects such
as home additions. For existing homes, paints or wallpapers may be
the only appropriate options.
Vapor barriers are included on batt or blanket insulation. Vapor
barriers should always be placed on the "warm-in-winter" side of the
insulation. Do not install a vapor barrier over existing insulation.
Air infiltration barriers (also called air retarders) are
complementary to vapor barriers. Ideally, air infiltration barriers
are comprised of one or more air-impermeable components that are
sealed at all joints and penetrations to form a continuous airtight
membrane around the building.
When located on the "warm-in-winter" side of insulation, air
barriers can double as vapor barriers. Polyethylene sheets are one
example of a vapor and air barrier. When located on the
"cold-in-winter" side of insulation, as is often done in wood stud
construction, the air barrier must be vapor-permeable. Typical
vapor-permeable air barriers include polyolefin fabric wrap on
sheathing, pressed cardboard, and pleated polystyrene with paper
facings.
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