I just moved into a new place where there's an electric baseboard heater running the length of the living room. It's old and has sagged, creating a significant crack in the drywall which is letting a lot of bugs in. I'm trying to figure out how to seal this properly. I was thinking of using a mix of HVAC tape and silicone caulk, but I need to ensure that whatever I use can withstand the heat since the heater can get pretty hot. Is expanding foam a possibility here? I know most fire-block foam is meant for chimneys rather than directly on heaters. Any advice would be super helpful!
2 Answers
The best approach would be to take the heater off the wall, fix the drywall, and then reinstall the heater. It's pretty straightforward—just take off the front panel, unscrew it from the wall, and you can leave it wired while you make the repairs. Just remember to cut the power while you're doing this! Once you've sealed up the cracks, you can mount it back up without any problem.
Cracks in drywall usually shouldn't let bugs in, so you might want to check that the exterior wall is in good shape too. As for the repair, are you avoiding drywall mud? It's actually designed for this and is usually cheaper than some alternatives. Just make sure it can handle the heat from your heater, since it gets up to around 200 degrees.