How to Install Foam Gaskets around Light Switches

Foam gaskets make a big difference when it comes to your electric bill, but most home owners don’t even think about their light switches actually letting the heat or air conditioning out. Statistics show that not having foam gaskets sealing your light switches and electrical outlets is like having a window open all the time—no matter what the weather! That certainly does add up, even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal at first.

Foam gaskets work to keep outdoor air out of your house as well. This means that if you live in an area where there is a lot of air pollution or even a lot of outdoor allergens in the air, foam gaskets can help keep them from entering your home through these tiny openings. After all, you wouldn’t think about putting up walls without insulation, and the best way to make that insulation effective is with foam gaskets that completely seal the opening between the edge of the drywall and the outlet or switch box.

To protect your home and your heating bill, here’s how to install foam gaskets:

1. Use a screwdriver to remove the faceplate of the light switch or outlet.
2. Insert the foam gasket into the space left between the drywall and the box, making sure that it completely fills the space.
3. Put the faceplate back on, and that’s it!

There are specially made foam gaskets that fit standard outlets and light switches. In some cases, you may have to trim your own gasket. This is very easily done, especially when you have the measurements of the outlets or light switches you want to fit out with a gasket.

Foam gaskets are a very inexpensive way to add a layer of protection to you home. Just as you don’t even think about insulation as it works to keep your home warm, you won’t even think much about the foam gaskets once they are in. But you will likely notice a drop in your electrical bill, and with a price of less than a dollar per light switch or outlet in most cases, it’s definitely worth the savings.

Blaylock Gasket and Packing offers foam gaskets for all of your home and industrial needs. Their professionals will help you make the right purchase when you’re ready to work on installing foam gaskets around your light switches.