SILL PLATE CAULKING?

[Todd]

Last year I had a free Energy Star inspection of my house after I had some brick work done. They installed a fan at the front door and created negative pressure throughout the house. I ran around finding the air leaks and one of the biggest was the sill plate separating the basement block and house foundation. Once it cools off around here I'm thinking of caulking this heat robber. I can't do it from the inside because there are just too many things in the way like pipes, hanging ceiling, wires, and other obstacles. Can I caulk the outside? I have T-111 wood siding that comes down over that sill about 2 inches, so it would be easy to caulk between it and the block. Or does it need that gap to breath?

 

[begreen]

I wouldn't caulk the bottom of the siding. The bottom needs to drain. The last thing one wants there is a dam that retains moisture.

 

[Sandor]

Do not caulk that. If you have a leak anywhere above it, the water has no where to go. Hear an echo Green!

Did they use the roll sill seal? Its code in Md and Va.

 

[elkimmeg]

Hate to tell you this but the best way is to attack the sill leakage from inside. Caulk may not be the best approach. Foam seal might work better even pieces of fiberglass insulation stuffed in there would work. Perhaps foam rubber weather stripping stuffed in there.
Posibly a combination of all of the mentioned above. Today sill seal is required in new construction but. sill seal has only been used the past 25 years or so. The sill area in older homes has always leaked air or lost heat.

 

[Todd]

OK, thanks, that makes sense.