Often referred to as sealant, caulk comes in cartridges for use in a caulk gun or in smaller tubes that are squeezed by hand.

The best caulk to use to seal air leaks is silicone, as it stays flexible for a long time (50 years, according to some manufacturers’s guarantees). Silicone cannot be painted, however. If you must paint, use an acrylic latex caulk with silicone.

Air travels up into attics through bypasses or chases. These are framed shafts for electrical or plumbing lines that run from a basement or ground floor up into the attic.

Vent stacks for plumbing often run through a chase, and the openings at the top and bottom may need to be filled with expanding foam or plastic bags filled with fiberglass insulation.

Chimneys are also sometimes enclosed in this way. Any gaps around the chimney as it passes into the attic should be filled with a non-combustible insulation such as rockwool.
 

136 Best Ways to Save on Your Home Energy
Learn how to cut the cost of your utility bills with simple, inexpensive and effective measures. All the procedures are simple enough for beginners, and none require expensive tools.

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