Seal seams and cracks for improved insulation

Everyone deserves a comfortable home. Unfortunately, some houses suffer from drafts due to cracks and crevices. This creates a less pleasant living environment with poor insulation and little fresh air. The solution to this problem is to seal all the cracks and crevices in your home.

How sealing seams and cracks can improve insulation

Seams are often found between fixed parts of a house, while gaps are found between moving parts. Is this the case in your home? Then seal all seams and cracks with caulk or draft excluders. You'll notice almost immediately that less cold air enters the house. This has a positive impact on the environment and your wallet. This significantly reduces your home's energy consumption because you won't need to turn up the heating as much.

Identify the most common areas for cracks and crevices in your home

A cold, windy day is the perfect opportunity to find cracks and crevices in your home. You might already feel the draft in the strong wind, but a piece of paper or a candle is also practical.

Choosing materials for effectively sealing seams and cracks

Want to get started sealing seams and cracks in your home yourself? With the right materials, you'll achieve the best results. You'll find all the possible locations for seams and cracks, along with the best materials, in this handy overview:

Where are the seams and cracks?	Which insulation material is most suitable?
Exterior door	Draft brush
Mailbox	Letterbox brush
Seams between the outer wall, floor and/or frames	Waterproof silicone sealant or PU compression bandage
Gaps at doors, windows and/or the crawl space hatch	Flexible draft strip, preferably self-adhesive. Another option is aluminum or hard plastic draft strip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OFnPpUKmPs

Step-by-step guide: sealing seams and cracks

By now, you know where seams and cracks are often found in a home. Our overview also helps you identify the most suitable materials. But how do you seal seams and cracks most effectively? The answer is simple: use this step-by-step plan.

Step 1:

Map out all the seams and cracks in your home.

Step 2:

Seal gaps around moving parts, such as windows and doors, with self-adhesive draft excluder tape. Choose a flexible material.

Step 3:

Cut the draught excluder to size and then place it in the window or door frame.

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Do you have any questions, ideas or would you like to share your experiences around DYI topics?

• Email us at duurzaamkleiburg1@gmail.com . Together we'll chart a path toward a future-proof Kleiburg;

• Do-it-yourself is about improvements in your own apartment, not about VvE measures. Sharing your experiences can really help others — and is very welcome!