Honestly, I’m a little skeptical about paying for pro sealing unless you’ve got a really old house with lots of weird drafts. I tried it once after spending a weekend with foam and caulk, thinking I’d missed something major. The pro found a couple tiny spots but nothing game-changing. For me, most of the difference came from just doing it myself and paying attention to the obvious gaps. I guess if you’ve got money to burn or just hate DIY, it’s fine, but I wouldn’t say it’s always worth the extra cost.
Yeah, I’m right there with you. I spent a Saturday crawling around my 60s ranch with a caulk gun and a suspicious look on my face, and honestly, most of the leaks were exactly where you’d expect. I did get a quote for pro sealing once, but the price made me laugh—like, is it gold-infused caulk or what? Unless your house is basically a wind tunnel, DIY seems to cover most of it. But hey, if someone hates ladders or sticky fingers, maybe it’s worth it for the peace of mind...
- Had the same reaction to pro quotes—felt like I was being upsold on some “secret” sealing technique.
- Did my own windows and doors last fall. Used a $7 tube of caulk and a Saturday afternoon. Noticed drafts dropped off, but I’m not sure I’d call it a game-changer for my heating bill.
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“Unless your house is basically a wind tunnel, DIY seems to cover most of it.”
Agree, mostly. But I do wonder about the stuff you can’t see. Like, I can spot the obvious gaps, but what about hidden leaks behind trim or inside the walls? Pro crews sometimes use those infrared cameras or blower doors—maybe that’s where the value comes in?
- Not a fan of ladders either, but I’d rather risk a wobbly climb than pay $800 for something I can mostly do myself.
- One thing I can’t figure out: do pros actually use better materials, or is it just the labor you’re paying for? I bought the “good” caulk at the hardware store, but maybe there’s some industrial stuff I’m missing?
- My neighbor swears his pro job made a huge difference, but his house is ancient and drafty. Maybe it’s more about how bad your starting point is.
Anyone tried one of those energy audits where they do the smoke test or thermal scan? Wondering if that’s worth it before shelling out for pro sealing...
Like, I can spot the obvious gaps, but what about hidden leaks behind trim or inside the walls? Pro crews sometimes use those infrared cameras or blower doors—maybe that’s where the value comes...
I totally get the “wind tunnel” comment—my place isn’t that bad, but I still noticed cold spots after doing the obvious caulking. Here’s what worked for me: I started with the easy stuff (windows, doors), then borrowed a friend’s thermal camera (they’re rentable at some libraries!). Turns out, there was a hidden draft behind a baseboard I never would’ve guessed. Didn’t need a pro, just some patience and a second round of caulk. Not sure the pros use magic materials, but their tools definitely help find the sneaky leaks.
I’ve wondered the same thing about pros—are you just paying for someone to use a fancy gadget? I did a DIY air sealing on my 80s house last winter. Found the obvious stuff, but what surprised me was how much air came in around the outlets and under the window trim. I used one of those cheap incense sticks to spot drafts, which worked okay, but I still missed a few spots until I borrowed a thermal camera. If you’re patient and willing to crawl around, you can get most of it yourself. The pro tools definitely make it faster, but not sure they’re essential unless your house is super drafty or has weird construction.
I used one of those cheap incense sticks to spot drafts, which worked okay, but I still missed a few spots until I borrowed a thermal camera.
That’s basically been my experience too. I did all the “classic” draft points with caulk and foam, thinking I’d nailed it, but then my brother let me try his thermal camera and, wow, it lit up spots I never would’ve checked—especially around the attic access and some weird spot behind a closet. The incense trick is good for big leaks, but it’s not as sensitive for those sneaky ones.
I get why pros use the blower door test—it really pinpoints stuff fast—but for most regular houses like mine (built in ’78), you can get 80% of the way there with patience and a few cheap tools. The main upside with pros is speed and maybe catching stuff you’d never think to look for. Downside is definitely cost. If you’re detail-oriented (and don’t mind crawling around with a flashlight), DIY can be pretty satisfying...and way cheaper.
Curious if anyone’s actually had a pro find something major they missed? For me, it was just little stuff—not worth the price tag.
I’ve done a bunch of window sealing jobs—both pro and DIY—and honestly, I think you’re right that most folks can get pretty far on their own if they’re patient. The incense stick trick, tissue paper, even just feeling for cold air with your hand—those all catch the big offenders. But I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve come out for a “pro” job and found the real problem wasn’t the windows at all. Sometimes it’s the attic hatch, or even a gap behind trim that nobody thinks to check.
The blower door test is slick, but it’s overkill for a lot of houses unless you’re chasing down every last BTU. Still, I will say—every once in a while, I do find something wild. Had a job last winter where the homeowner swore up and down they’d sealed everything. Turns out, there was a gap behind their built-in bookcase that was basically a wind tunnel to the crawlspace. Never would’ve found it without the pressure test and thermal camera. But that’s rare.
For most people, especially in older houses like yours (late 70s is basically “classic leaky house” territory), you’ll get most of the way there with caulk, foam, and some patience. The pro route makes sense if you’re at your wit’s end, or if you’re dealing with ice dams or crazy high bills and nothing else has worked. Otherwise, I’d say save your cash unless you just hate crawling around with a flashlight.
One thing I will say—if you ever replace windows or doors, that’s when pros really earn their keep. Flashing and sealing new installs is where DIY can go sideways fast if you miss something. But for hunting drafts? You’re probably fine doing it yourself unless you’re super picky or have a weird situation.
Funny how sometimes it’s not even the windows causing trouble...
That’s been my experience too—most of the big draft problems in my place weren’t even the windows. I spent a weekend crawling around with a flashlight and a pack of incense sticks, and the worst leak was actually at the baseboards in the living room. Didn’t expect that at all. The windows were fine, just needed a little caulk here and there.
I considered hiring someone for a blower door test, but honestly, once I sealed up the obvious stuff, my heating bill dropped enough that it didn’t seem worth paying for the pro checkup. I guess if you’re really chasing perfection or you’ve got some mystery draft you can’t pin down, it might make sense to call in the experts. But for me, a little patience and elbow grease did most of it.
Totally agree about new installs though—when I had my patio door replaced, I left that to the pros. Flashing and sealing looked way more complicated than I wanted to mess with. But for tracking down drafts? DIY all the way unless you hit a wall.
Funny, I had almost the exact same journey with my place. I was convinced the windows were the main culprit, but after spending a Sunday with incense smoke and a lot of crawling around on my hands and knees, it turned out the worst draft was sneaking in at the old electrical outlets and a weird spot behind some built-ins. Sealing those up made a way bigger difference than anything I did around the windows.
I get why people want to bring in pros—there’s something reassuring about having someone with fancy equipment tell you where the problems are. But honestly, unless you’ve got a really old house or you’re running into stuff you can’t figure out, I think most folks can handle 80% of these leaks themselves. Plus, there’s a weird satisfaction in tracking down the cold spots and fixing them with your own two hands.
I’m with you on leaving complex stuff like door installations to professionals though. Tried to help a friend with a sliding door once, and it was a comedy of errors—shims everywhere and still wouldn’t close right. Some things just aren’t worth the headache.
Curious if anyone’s actually paid for a blower door test and felt it was worth every penny? I always wonder if they find something major that regular DIY methods miss, or if it’s mostly just confirming what you already suspect. My neighbor swears by it, but his house is from the ‘20s and has all sorts of weird drafty nooks mine doesn’t.
For me, chasing down drafts has become kind of a hobby... way more gratifying than I expected. Anyone else get a little obsessed once you started?
- Blower door tests are cool if you’ve got a super old house or you’re just plain stumped. They’ll find leaks in spots you’d never think to check (attic hatches, weird gaps behind trim, etc).
- For most places though, incense and patience do 90% of the work.
- I’ve seen folks pay for pro window sealing, only to learn later the real problem was a drafty crawlspace or outlet boxes like you found.
- Door installs? Yeah, leave that circus to us. Sliding doors have driven many grown adults to tears.
- Not gonna lie—once you start chasing drafts, it’s hard to stop... there’s always one more cold corner laughing at you.