Construction of an air entry occurs with the movement of air in a house through open seams and empty spaces. In addition, an air entry occurs when air moves from indoors to outdoors. Too much air movement drives up energy prices and makes a house breezy, humid or dried up.

Anyone who has ever designed or built a home already knows there is a balancing act that needs to be done. If there is too much air leakage, your home can become too drafty and cold. You could also end up paying a higher energy bill.

One of the things a builder or architect should probably ask themselves is what are the paths to air leakage. Basically, the most common pathways for air leakage can be found in penetrations drilled for plumbing, electricity, vents and other types of utility service. Some exterior devices such as light fixtures and electrical outlets can cause air to leak out of the home as well.

Gaps between the bottoms of the sill plate and an older house’s foundation are overlooked areas of air leakage, especially into the basement. Foam insulation minimizes the leakage. A foam gasket is built into new house’s to prevent this occurrence.

If you have patio doors or windows, sealants should be applied to these areas as well. Silicone caulk is one of the best sealants for this purpose given that it’s so flexible and can better withstand sudden shifts in weather conditions. Fiberglass insulation should be avoided since it is porous and is useless in stopping air from moving.

Perimeter bands located between the levels of a house are an underestimated area of air leakage. Air has a conduit through the siding gaps and navigate quite a distance away from the original entry point.

A home owner trying to block drafts has many ways to make a house air-tight. They range from a mixture of physical things to plug into gaps, to silicon sealants and foam. Plugging a hole by forcing in a caulking compound is a common way to seal drafts in small holes or gaps. For larger gaps, such as behind warped timbers, expandable foam is simple to use. It emerges from an aerosol can as a liquid, reacts with air and expands many times to pack gaps with an air-tight wad. Silicon seal, whose grip remains firm despite movement, is used to block drafts around flexible joints. Rope caulk, a traditional way to keep drafts to as minimum, is an alternative to silicon around doors and loose-fitted windows. Weather stripping can be inserted around windows too. Foam gaskets can also be forced around holes and access breaks in the exterior walls.

Older houses do yield the greatest benefit from preventing air seepage. However, proactive air sealing is preferred in the building phase or reconstruction phase. Halting or preventing air leaks is an efficient way to decrease energy usage and bills in your house.

If you want to find out more about lowering your electricity bills, make sure to check out Earth4Energy Review. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.