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Written by Marianne Peters   
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Friday, 30 October 2009

Caulk Is Cheap

Last week I was on my roof, industriously squeezing caulk along the vinyl siding on the upstairs dormer windows. October in Indiana – the red maples were aglow, the skies were deep blue, and it was not cold, but cool enough to need a jacket. Leaf rot scented the air.

I enjoy caulking. Not just because it’s a home repair I can actually do myself, but because I know it’s going to save us money and make us more comfortable this winter. Our home suffers from infiltration – what happens when cold air sneaks in and warmed air sneaks out. And what happens? Our rooms get cold and we pay more for the experience.

This fall I’ve been a house detective, wetting my index finger and feeling for a breeze along doorways, ductwork, and any other perceived nook or cranny. If I can plug them up, life will be cosier and less costly. Caulk is cheap, too – the real investment is the time you spend applying it, but it’s time well spent. We recently put in a newer, more efficient furnace, but if cold air is still getting through the cracks, I won’t reap the full benefits of that much bigger investment.

I never expected to enjoy caulking. When I was growing up, on beautiful October days, my father would climb up on a ladder, caulk gun in hand – not that I paid much attention. I was too busy leaping into leaf piles (that he had just raked). Caulking was a Dad Thing, like changing out the storm windows and fretting about the Cubs.

Another Dad Thing: monitoring the thermostat, something else I find strangely satisfying. My dad monitors his home’s thermostat as if he’s in Mission Control during a space shuttle launch, and woe to anyone who adjusts the temperature without a security clearance. Houston, we have a problem.

I know, of course, that Dad’s focused on the bottom line. Programmable thermostats save money. I set ours for 68 during the day, dropping down to 60 at night, for maximum energy and cost savings. During the winter, unless we’re going away for the weekend and want to turn it down, no one has to touch the thermostat – it’s a no-brainer. I just tell the kids what my dad told me: “If you’re cold, put on a sweater!”

By the way, in recent talks on home energy savings, I’ve taken non-scientific surveys and discovered that for the most part, adjusting the thermostat does seem to fall along gender lines. As in, the male of the species typically turns it down, while the female of the species has a tendency to turn it up. Conflict ensues and comes to a shaky resolution. Cycle repeats. Thus another upside to the programmable thermostat is that it could save your marriage...

I’m hoping to get a little more caulking in before the snow flies. Upon reflection, I know why I like to caulk. It’s quiet. I’m no longer multitasking, trying to rush kids hither and yon, or sitting in a meeting, or drawing a blank as the dinner hour approaches. I’m just filling up holes and letting my mind wander while the kids are off jumping in leaf piles (that I just raked). I get it now Dad!

Looking for advice on home repair? Ask your parents, or check out the U. S. Department of Energy’s handy Energy Savers Booklet: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home, available at www.eere.energy.gov.

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© First North American Rights, 2009. Reprinted with permission of owner.




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Green Facts

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