How to Seal Air Leaks Affordably in Your Home

Plastic sheeting over windows is cost effective and inexpensive.

Sealing air leaks around the house can cost a small fortune, but you can improvise on some of the materials to dramatically cut the cost. With these ideas and some do it yourself know-how, you can do most of the work yourself and do it much more affordably and efficiently. These is nothing fancy here, just some basic skills and basic tools. Virtually all of these supplies are available at your local hardware store.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Clear sealing or packing transparent tape
• Craft foam sheets or thin flexible foam of any kind
• Clear caulking
• Caulking gun
• Fabric and sand
• Old thin blankets (certain fabrics or old towels are ok)
• Plastic sheeting
• Spray adhesive
• Weatherstripping
• Insulating foam

1. Seal windows you don't open with plastic sheeting, taping along the inside with wide, clear tape. Double hung windows with air leaks around the perimeter only can be taped just on the edges. Fold the ends over a bit for easy removal.

2. Modify old fashioned window shades for insulation. Cut out fabric from an old thin blanket, flannel sheet or other warm material to fit the shade. You can sometimes find fabric at discount stores for a dollar or two per yard and then match the fabric to the rooms. Spray the inside of the blind with spray adhesive. Lay the fabric on it carefully, making sure it's flat. Let it dry thoroughly and rehang it. It should work fine unless you used fabric was too bulky, in which case, they will still work on windows you don't need the light to come in through. Do your next shades with a thinner materials and they should roll up without any trouble.

3. Use inexpensive craft foam to make insulation for switch plate and outlet covers. Trace plates and plug and switch openings. Cut the outside edge of the foam with a craft knife about 1/16-inch inside the line and cut openings. Place inside the covers and screw them back in place.

4. Buy draft stoppers for door bottoms or make them with pliable sheet foam, or heavy plastic sheeting, vinyl, or leather, using two or three thicknesses if needed. Cut them the length of the door and about 3 inches high. Thumb tack them to the door bottom or nail them on under a piece of wood stripping painted to match the door.

5. Use weatherstripping around the door frame to finish blocking door drafts. You can use foam for this also, putting it on with a thin layer of white glue or spray adhesive on the foam.

6. Apply clear acrylic caulking to baseboard and ceiling air leaks using a caulk gun to make a thin line. Nail the moldings and baseboards in place if there are large gaps that will close up with nails.

7. Fix air leaks that don't show like those around under the sink plumbing with pressurized expanding foam. You can wrap pipes that have drafts with foam rubber, strips of blanket or towels, or another soft material. If the area is prone to water leaks, you'll have to go with the pressurized foam to prevent mildew and more work later on.

Tips & Warnings

• Scout thrift stores for old blankets and towels to cover window shades or to be cut into strips to insulate pipes.

• Don't use any kind of fabric to seal air leaks anywhere it could get wet.