How To

How to Use Caulk to Insulate Your Home and Slash Your Energy Bills

Written by Mint.com
Published Jan 3, 2013
1 min read
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Caulk may seem like something only professional contractors deal with, but it’s actually inexpensive and extremely simple to use.

By sealing areas around your house such as the attic, basement, windows and exterior siding, you can save as much as 30 percent on your utility bills.

Best of all, a tube of caulk only costs about $4 at your local hardware store.

Here’s how to slash your energy bills using caulk.

Time: 15 minutes

What you’ll need:

putty knife or scraper
tube of caulk
caulk gun
plastic spoon or popsicle stick

Step 1

Take a quick walk through your house, checking for places that need a caulk refresh. You’re looking for discolored, cracked or otherwise deteriorating caulk.

Two important areas to check are your basement and the area around your windows. Both of these spots can leak a lot of heat, especially during the colder months of the year.

Step 2

Remove any old or damaged caulk with your putty knife or scraper.

Step 3

Load the tube into your caulking gun using the instructions on the gun package. Once it’s properly loaded, cut off the tip of the caulk tube.

Apply the caulk at a measured pace along the cracks in your window’s seal. Be smooth and use consistent, light pressure. You want your caulk to be applied in one continuous line.