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Dulley's Money-Saving Tip #1091

Caulk around outdoor faucets

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Now is a good time to check for gaps and air leaks where your outdoor faucets penetrate an outdoor wall. This is a common location for air leakage into a home. After turning the faucet on and off and yanking on the garden hose all summer, there can be a gap between the pipe and the house wall.

If the gap is not over 1/4 inch wide, squirt in some silicone caulk. The color is not important so select a color to match your exterior walls. On brick walls, clear usually looks best. If the gap is fairly wide, squirt foam caulk, like Great Stuff, deep in to the gap first. This adds some insulation value too. Then finish it with regular caulk because the foam caulk does not hold up well when exposed to sunlight.