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Air Sealing Reference for New Homes
Air sealing recommendations:
- Place sill sealer between cap or top block & treated sill plate.
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Caulk or glue sole (shoe) plate before walls are erected.
- Caulk wood joints at T-posts corners.
- Tape, caulk or install an exterior air barrier to seal exterior sheathing joints.
- Caulk all wiring and plumbing penetrations at top plate and sole plate as well as wiring and plumbing holes through T-posts and corners. (Duct chases passing between floors in a multilevel house should be sealed.)
- Seal the exterior and interior perimeters of doors and windows using caulking or an open cell rod material.
- Use sill sealer or gaskets between wood and block for basement windows and doors.
- Seal plumbing drain cutouts.
- Install gaskets or glue sheetrock at all top plates and wall intersections.
- Seal entire perimeter of marriage (connecting sections) on modular construction and manufactured double-wide homes.
- Perform a visual check of insulation before sheetrock is installed. A polyethylene vapor barrier provides the most effective moisture barrier. Care should be taken to ensure that insulation is behind all electrical boxes and split at wiring runs and plumbing pipes. The vapor barrier should fit snugly around all penetrations.
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Areas Requiring Special Attention
- Recessed lighting fixtures are a source of both increased heat loss and infiltration. Air-tight "ready" recessed fixtures are available and provide a solution to this problem. The non-perforated housing is IC rated for direct insulation contact. A gasket is needed when trimming out to complete the seal of the fixture.
- Vented oven or range exhaust connections
- Interior chase walls
- Cantilever areas
- Stairwells and stair platforms on exterior walls
- Bathtub / shower enclosures on exterior walls
- Interior attic access openings should be insulated and sealed.
- Knee walls should be sealed from attic spaces using insulation board. Air blocking should be installed under knee walls between first floor ceiling and second story floor.
- Use roofing felt behind all tongue and groove finishes.
- Outdoor air intakes should be provided for combustion appliances, especially fireplaces.
- Crawl spaces
- Install 6-mil polyethylene vapor barrier to cover all exposed earth in the crawl space.
- Use baffles to allow for proper airflow and insulation effectiveness at the eaves / top plate. (Proper ventilation is essential for structural durability.)
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