Bottom of vinyl siding


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Old 11-06-06, 07:45 PM
J
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Bottom of vinyl siding

On the bottom of the siding and underneath, I can see the old siding and insulation. My question is should I seal that part, it is a little less than 2" deep x 2" wide? This is the north side of the house which faces the cold north Iowa wind. Would sealing this stop the draft I get on the floor in the house in the winter?
 
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Old 11-06-06, 07:53 PM
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It's pointless to caulk any part of your vinyl siding to stop air, since vinyl siding is not a barrier to air. The source of your draft could be any number of places. Sealing the back edge of the old siding to the house "might help" seal the top plate, where your house sits on the foundation, but the benefits to you will probably only be therapeudic. (the drawbacks of sealing that gap are that if any moisture gets behind your siding, the caulking will create a dam, which could potentially lead to problems.)

It's likely that the air you feel is finding its way through the seams of your sheathing, through your insulation, and you are feeling the draft coming from the baseboard.

Caulking can help stop some leaks but when the wind is 30 mph from the north, you better just put the heavy socks on.
 
 

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