Air sealing a New Orleans home

Find air leaks around windows, doors, attic penetrations, and exterior walls, then seal the confirmed paths before buying bigger upgrades. Test combustion drafting and ventilation when tightening the whole house.

Start with a walkthrough, not a purchase

Before buying sealant or scheduling anything, walk your home and note where you feel drafts or see daylight: around window and door frames, where pipes or wiring penetrate exterior walls, at the attic hatch, and where the foundation meets the framing. The Department of Energy’s guidance on air sealing frames this kind of visual and hand-felt inspection as the first step before any sealing work, because it tells you which leaks are worth addressing first.

A simple homeowner check: on a windy or very hot day, hold your hand near suspected gaps—window trim, baseboards, electrical outlets on exterior walls—and feel for moving air. You can also look for light gaps around door thresholds. These are observations you can make yourself without tools or risk.

What to check

Homeowners can generally handle a few low-risk, visible gaps:

Caulking small cracks around window and door trim where wood meets wall.
Adding or replacing weatherstripping on doors and operable windows.
Sealing gaps around pipes or cables where they pass through interior walls or cabinets, using appropriate caulk or foam.

These are the kinds of accessible gaps the Department of Energy’s air sealing overview points to as typical do-it-yourself targets. Keep sealing to areas you can see and reach without entering an attic, crawlspace, or wall cavity, since those spaces raise both safety and moisture questions that are harder to judge from a quick look.

Windows and coverings as a secondary step

Once obvious gaps are addressed, window treatments can help manage heat gain and loss, though they’re a supplement to air sealing rather than a substitute for it. The Department of Energy’s overview of energy-efficient window coverings covers how coverings affect comfort, which may be useful once the trim, thresholds, and penetrations around those same windows are already sealed.

Where this fits with the rest of your home

Air sealing is one piece of a broader efficiency picture that includes insulation, HVAC sizing, and moisture control. If you’re evaluating a home purchase or planning upgrades, it’s worth reviewing air sealing alongside other Home Comfort topics rather than treating it as a standalone fix, since leaks, insulation gaps, and equipment performance usually interact.

If you’re not sure whether a gap you’ve found is a simple caulk job or a sign of a larger moisture or ventilation issue, that uncertainty is a reasonable reason to get a professional opinion before sealing it yourself.

Sources

Department of Energy, accessed 8/12/2026
Department of Energy, accessed 8/12/2026
Department of Energy, accessed 8/12/2026