August 23, 2002, Newsletter Issue #32: Get ready for winter

Tip of the Week

Autumn is a good time to caulk the exterior of your house. The heating and cooling cycles of summer often will cause the old caulk to crack or separate.

There are several tips on caulking listed in the tips sections, but let`s go into a little more detail.

Be sure to caulk around all the penetrations through your exterior walls. Doors and windows are a given. Be careful, though, with vinyl siding. Do not caulk between the siding and the vinyl trim pieces. Vinyl must be allowed to expand and contract or it will buckle.

Caulk around all the outdoor outlets and light fixtures. The air conditioner lineset is another potential air leak. The lineset is the copper line that goes from the outdoor condenser, through the wall, and into the air handler on the furnace. The gas line should be somewhere close to the air conditioner, behind the meter. Be sure to caulk around the phone box, the cable TV entrance, and each water hydrant.

When buying caulk, be sure to get the right product. Some caulks are not paintable. Some may not adhere to the surfaces you wish to seal. There is a chart on the back of the tube of caulk which explains it`s strengths and weaknesses.

Caulk is, however, one of the few things in which you get what you pay for. Inexpensive caulk will not last as long as the higher priced products. Each caulk has a rating showing the number of years you can expect it to last.

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