Use and Care Manual

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AIR-SEAL AUDIT

CHECKLIST

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an afﬁliated company of Dow.

NOTICE: No freedom from any patent owned by Dow or others is to be inferred. Because use conditions and applicable laws may differ from one location to another and may change

with time, Customer is responsible for determining whether products and the information in this document are appropriate for Customer’s use and for ensuring that Customer’s workplace

and disposal practices are in compliance with applicable laws and other government enactments. Dow assumes no obligation or liability for the information in this document. NO

EXPRESS WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN EXCEPT FOR ANY APPLICABLE WRITTEN WARRANTIES SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED BY DOW. ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES INCLUDING THOSE OF

MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED.

COMBUSTIBLE: Protect from heat sources. For more information, consult MSDS, call Dow at 1-866-583-BLUE (2583) or contact your local building inspector. In an emergency, call 1-989-

636-4400 in the U.S. or 1-519-339-3711 in Canada.

GREAT STUFF™ Insulating Foam Sealants contain isocyanate and a ﬂammable blowing agent. Read the labels and Material Safety Data Sheets carefully before use. Eliminate all sources

of ignition before use. Wear gloves, and goggles or safety glasses. Provide adequate ventilation or wear proper respiratory protection. Contents under pressure.

Building and/or construction practices unrelated to building materials could greatly affect moisture and the potential for mold formation. No material supplier including Dow can give

assurance that mold will not develop in any speciﬁc system.

THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY • Dow Building Solutions • 200 Larkin • Midland, MI 48674

FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION: 1-866-583-BLUE (2583) • FOR SALES INFORMATION: 1-800-232-2436

DOW CHEMICAL CANADA ULC • Dow Building Solutions • Suite 2100 • 450 –1st St. SW • Calgary, AB T2P 5H1

FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION: 1-866-583-BLUE (2583) (English); 1-800-363-6210 (French)

FOR SALES INFORMATION: 1-800-232-2436 (English); 1-800-565-1255 (French)

The problem areas included in this checklist represent the most popular uses for GREAT STUFF™ Insulating Foam Sealants.

However, this easy-to-use foam sealant can be applied in other gaps and cracks around the home to help prevent the ﬂow of

outside air into your home, or to keep your home free of pests. Visit www.dowGREATSTUFF.com for alternative ways to use

GREAT STUFF™ Insulating Foam Sealants.

Printed in U.S.A.

Form No. 179-15020X-0314 CDP

Studio 2020 Design – 44810

Rim Joist

The rim joist caps the end of the ﬂoor joists, forming a box. This is the area where the clapboard

siding typically ends, which is why it is a primary source of air inﬁltration into the house. To identify the

rim joist, look up to where the basement wall meets the basement ceiling. The rim joist may already be

insulated with ﬁberglass batt insulation, or it may not be insulated at all. In either case, the rim joist should

be air sealed and insulated with GREAT STUFF™ Gaps & Cracks.

1. Use a ladder to investigate what the area looks like at the end of each

ﬂoor joist. Remove any existing insulation from the rim joist area.

2. If batt insulation, such as ﬁberglass or SAFETOUCH™ Fiberglass-Free

Insulation, will be used at the rim joist, use GREAT STUFF™ Gaps & Cracks

to seal the four intersecting edges of each rim joist “box.”

3. A better insulation option is to cut pieces of foam board, such as

STYROFOAM™ Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Foam Insulation up

to 2 inches thick or THERMAX

Insulation up to 4 inches thick, to ﬁt in each

rim joist “box.” After installing the foam board, use GREAT STUFF

Gaps & Cracks to seal around the four edges of the foam board.

4. Seal around all wires and pipes that penetrate the rim joist.

HVAC

Your air conditioning system setup might be doing more than

just cooling your house. It might be an air-inﬁltration culprit.

1. Check the areas where the HVAC ducts enter your

living space. Typically, these ducts extend from the

basement up through the ﬁrst ﬂoor.

2. Cover your basement ﬂoor before foaming.

3. Seal around all duct penetrations. Position your

ladder so that you are not foaming directly above

your head.

Sill Plate

You are likely to have a gap in your basement where the pressure-treated

wood sill plate rests on the top of the concrete foundation. If you

have an unﬁnished basement, these gaps will be evident. If you have

a ﬁnished basement with a dropped ceiling, you may still be able to

remove the ceiling tiles to access the sill plate and the foundation.

1. Using GREAT STUFF

Gaps & Cracks Insulating Foam Sealant,

insert the straw into the gap and slowly ﬁll the void.

2. Continue to move the can as you foam.

BASEMENT

OR CLOSED CRAWL SPACE

It’s damp, dark and cold. That’s why it’s an excellent place to seal

with GREAT STUFF

Insulating Foam Sealants.

Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an afﬁliated company of Dow.

A recent study conducted by Dow revealed that, by sealing the sill

plate/rim joist penetrations, homeowners can begin to see payback

after 9.4 months, and enjoy $44 in annual savings.*

In this study, air loss was measured using blower door tests. Potential energy savings were estimated using REM Home Energy Analysis Software.

Results vary based on construction, style, year built and other unique home characteristics. Participating homeowners were current employees of Dow.

Summary of content (2 pages)

PAGE 1
BASEMENT OR CLOSED CRAWL SPACE It’s damp, dark and cold. That’s why it’s an excellent place to seal with GREAT STUFFTM Insulating Foam Sealants. Sill Plate You are likely to have a gap in your basement where the pressure-treated wood sill plate rests on the top of the concrete foundation. If you have an unfinished basement, these gaps will be evident. If you have a finished basement with a dropped ceiling, you may still be able to remove the ceiling tiles to access the sill plate and the foundation.
PAGE 2
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that homeowners can typically save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs by air sealing and insulating. Take matters into your own hands (or, in this case, your own finger) with GREAT STUFFTM Insulating Foam Sealants. All of the projects on this checklist can be completed within a couple of hours with several cans of GREAT STUFFTM Insulating Foam Sealants.