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Nothing restores a home and improves its energy efficiency better than air sealing it with spray foam insulation sealant.

How to air seal your home with spray foam insulation sealant

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Air leakage in and out of the house through the windows can be prevented with simple solutions and sustainable techniques, as demonstrated by our crew in this project. Learn how we use spray foam insulation sealant to revamp your home and make it energy-efficient. 

Project outline

Joe Danz introducing the project

In this project, Joe Danz and the Boston Exterior Remodeling team worked tirelessly to air seal 46 windows of a building that previously suffered excess air leakage, which made it energy inefficient. Their zeal and determination transformed the house into a haven of sustainability and energy efficiency. 

The building had openings around the windows that let air freely flow in and out, making it imminently unsafe for occupation. It was in dire need of a transformation before it could be habitable.

Clearing up the cavity

Paulo from the Boston Exterior Remodeling team vacuuming the cavity

When air sealing your home using waterproof foam sealant, the first step is to clear up the cavities and ensure no debris remains behind. We used a vacuum cleaner to clear the cavities and remove debris. Clearing the cavity is important because it allows the foam sealant to adhere to the surface. We cleaned all edges of the windows and ensured all the locks were sealed tight. You should also ensure any previously used sealants are removed from the cavities. 

Fill the cavity with spray foam insulation sealant

Joe Danz filling the cavity with foam sealant

After clearing the cavities, the next step is filling them with the foam sealant. We attached the Loctite Tite Foam Gaps & Cracks to a straw applicator. Next, we inserted the straw applicator into the cavity, pulled it back about an inch, and released the foam sealant. We did that in all the cavities around the window, ensuring no spaces remained untouched.

Our team focused on bonding the window frame to the opening above to ensure no air leakage. The idea is not to bond the window frame to the flange, so we were very keen to avoid that as we applied the foam sealant on the cavities.

All of the spaces should be filled adequately since the straw applicator offers access to even tiny cavities. 

Cutting the excess foam sealant

Joe Danz cutting excess foam sealant

One thing we love about the Loctite Tite Foam Gaps & Cracks is that you can always trim the excess areas. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about overstuffing. After applying the spray foam insulation sealant on all the cavities around the window, we trimmed the excess areas to get a uniform look.

The Loctite foam sealant remains flexible even after it cures. If any of the other window parts stretch or contract, the foam will respond appropriately, thus remaining perfect in all weather conditions. This flexibility gives it an edge over other brands. 

Using the pro-gun

While the straw applicator works best for small projects and demonstrations, we recommend attaching your foam sealant to a pro-gun to work faster or handle bigger projects. After handling the first window, Paulo, our crew member from Boston Exterior Remodeling, attaches the Loctite Tite Foam Gaps & Cracks to a pro-gun so that we can handle the remaining 45 windows more efficiently.

One benefit of the pro-gun is that you can lay out several test beads to identify the required consistency and adjust the knob accordingly. The gun is not limited like the straw applicator, which only offers a single size at any given time. 

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Products used

  • loctite tite foam gaps cracks 12oz can
    Loctite Tite Foam Gaps & Cracks

    Seal and insulate gaps & cracks up to 1” inside or out

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