You can improve your home’s efficiency by using this simple piece of advice: seal around light fixtures. These small gaps and cracks can cost you a lot more than you think.
Maintaining a leak-free home requires attention to detail. When dealing with an older home, there are a lot of small hacks that a homeowner can do to keep air and moisture out of spots where they don’t belong. Today, Myron Ferguson, a drywall and building performance contractor, finds himself in one of his favorite places: an attic. He’s checking out some trouble spots that can help this home regain some insulation integrity. More specifically, he’s focusing on how to seal around light fixtures.
Today, Myron is using the Loctite Tite Foam Gaps and Cracks to seal off unwanted gaps around these common structures. Light fixtures are commonly ignored spots for air leaks and moisture penetration.
Most homeowners consider insulation around window and door frames, but they often neglect the small nooks and crannies that form around light fixtures and the problems they present.
Myron points out the importance of sealing around light fixtures. “The warm air from downstairs,” he says, “wants to come up to this attic. And with that warm air, quite often, there is moisture.”
Different types of light fixtures present different challenges for air sealing. For example:
- Recessed lights: This type of light fixture saw its heyday in the late 90s and early 2000s, although many homes still install them today. Recessed lights are often called can lights or downlights. There are two main kinds of recessed light: IC-rated and Non-IC-rated. The IC-rated lights are installed with direct contact with insulation, while Non-IC-rated are installed without contact with insulation because of potential fire hazards. The latter often cause more air leakage because of their design. They are used for overall lighting and often installed in dens, master bedrooms, and even bathrooms. Their design is sleek, as the light is meant to sit flush with the ceiling, so it creates a very clean and minimal design. They usually include trim, housing, and a bulb.
- Older style can light: This style is a type of recessed light. The fixture consists of a rounded bulb that sits in a cylindrical housing, hence the name “can.” The top is open with a circular bulb and a simple or decorative trim. They are often used as task lights and installed on the floor, ceiling, or walls.
- Poorly installed fixtures: Regardless of the style of light fixture, if the structure was installed incorrectly, it is likely to cause problems and create unwanted air leakage. There are many ways to improperly install a light fixture, but mistakes that specifically affect moisture and air leakage include improper fitting and large gaps between the ceiling and the top of light fixtures.
It’s not only the type of light fixture that contributes to the amount of air leakage. Many times, it has to do with other factors, including:
- Faulty installation: Bad installation jobs might leave unnecessary gaps that let air filtrate and moisture seep through.
- Degradation of seals: It’s not uncommon for original seals around light fixtures to degrade due to weather and regular wear and tear. Without proper maintenance, these seals eventually get large gaps.
- Corrosion: If the light fixtures are exposed to moisture, the structure can corrode and develop gaps.
- Physical damage to the structure: If there is storm or wind damage that compromises the structure, the damage can form larger gaps.
- Local environmental factors: Depending on where in the country you live, environmental factors can contribute to faster corrosion or damage to light fixture installations.
Myron Ferguson uses Loctite Tite Foam Gaps & Cracks to reliably air seal around light fixtures. This new-generation polyurethane-based insulating foam has many qualities that separate it from other types of insulation.
Why is this the best choice? As Myrone Ferguson puts it, “I really like to use expanding foam because it air seals, as opposed to fiberglass insulation which allows air to move through it.”
Other unique qualities that make this foam ideal for sealing around light fixtures include:
- Its ability to expand to fill. The expanding foam fills, seals, and insulates around gaps and cracks as big as 1 inch.
- It is reliable and durable. The ingredients are purified and concentrated to withstand harsh UV rays.
- It exhibits superior flexibility. This foam will withstand harsh weather conditions and material movement without losing its seal.
- It possesses unbeatable adhesion. The seal can bond to other materials when needed such as wood, concrete, brick, stone, and metal.
The good news, as Myron suggests, is that sealing off these problem areas is something the homeowner can do. It doesn’t take fancy equipment or high-level expertise to give your home a second chance and improve its air efficiency.
To seal around light fixtures Myron follows these simple steps.
Step 1: Look for light fixtures. The first thing Myron does when he embarks on an air-sealing mission is to do a walkthrough of the home. He inspects each light fixture from inside the house and makes notes on their location, their type, and possible issues. Once up in the attic, it makes them much easier to find.
Step 2: Remove the insulation. To locate the light fixtures, it’s often necessary to remove the existing insulation. This may require carefully moving it out of the way as you prepare the area.
Step 3: Clean the surrounding area. It is a good idea to remove dust, debris, or other materials from the immediate area surrounding the light fixture. This debris can interfere with creating an airtight seal. Simply run a vacuum along the area to get it nice and clean.
Step 4: Seal around the light fixture. Use Loctite Tite Foam Gaps & Cracks to carefully seal all the surrounding gaps around the light fixture. This includes the installation site and gaps within the light fixture itself.
As a contractor, Myron Ferguson understands that homeowners have a lot to worry about. So, to solve a common problem, he suggests checking your light fixtures and ensuring they are not the culprit for escaping air and moisture in your home.