Tip of The Week

February 10, 2007

This week’s tip comes from our “Tight Makes Right” file.

If you are a regular listener to our show you know that we caution our listeners about making a house too tight.  That is sealed so well that moisture cannot escape.  That is good advice but today we will talk about a situation where tight is right. If you have noticed dark lines or a dark area around the perimeter of a room that has light carpet in it you may be puzzled as to why this area that gets no traffic appears dirtier than the rest of the carpet.  The answer is simple.  Air is being drawn form the outside or from an unconditioned space because there is not a tight seal between the bottom plate of the wall framing and the floor.  This is particularly prevalent in homes built on a slab.

We have told you about a product called backer rod, also known as Caulk Saver.  It is a gray foam product that comes in multiple diameters from 3/8” to ¾” of an inch. Folks who sell Commercial Products may actually have it in bigger dimensions.  Typically it will come in lengths of 25 or 50 feet.  I have found that a 5/8” diameter is usually best.  Take the backer rod and a blunt tool, like a stiff blade putty knife, and push the backer rod into the gap between the base and the floor until it is out of sight. If it is not going in with relative ease you may have to step down a size in diameter.  I always buy a couple sizes because I have found that the size of the gap can vary.  Not only that I have found hundreds of uses for the left over product.  In my book, backer rod is right up there with Duct Tape and WD 40 on the multiple uses scale.

Tightening up this gap will eliminate the dirty ring around the room and it will also help form an energy efficiency perspective as it seals out cold or hot outside air.

Thanks for visiting Ask John and Dave.com and we’ll see you on the air,

John and Dave

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