To prepare for the colder season, you can take simple steps to seal your windows by repairing drafty areas. This is a cost-effective way to protect your living spaces from drafts and make the most of the heat at low temperatures. Additionally, properly sealing windows can prevent moisture and mold growth, as well as air leaks in extreme weather conditions. Insulating window panes and trim requires a bit of skill and expertise, but it shouldn't scare you away. Here are some tips and basic caulking techniques you can use at home.
Why you should seal your windows and make them winterproof
Insulating your windows for the winter doesn't have to involve costly replacement or additional work. Drafts in the windows can quickly cool down your home in the winter as heat flows outside. This causes your heater to have to work extra hard to balance the temperature, which can increase energy costs. In addition, air gaps not only allow the cold to come in, but also allow the heat to escape, which also increasesunnecessarily high heating costsleads. Whether you want to seal old windows or have newer ones that are a little worn out, you can use simple solutions to keep them warm and cozy in no time.
Up to 40 percent of heat loss can be attributed to open, unsealed windows with single glazing. If you waste energy this way, you increase theYour household’s CO₂ footprintand affect both the comfort and the air quality of your indoor climate. A window that leaks air can therefore mean excessive energy loss and higher heating costs. Whether this happens in summer or winter, you don't want to lose air from your home or apartment, especially if you spend your hard-earned money to warm or cool it. There are several silicone sealants you can use indoors. If you need to seal your windows outdoors, you should look for a seal that provides a durable but flexible perimeter seal for exterior window and door frames.
Before you start sealing
The best way to test your windows for leaks is to burn an incense stick near all joints and connections. If the smoke flickers, you have an air leak. Additionally, also check where one section of the window meets another, where the windows meet the frame, and where the frame meets the wall. Water leaks from a window often result from a breakdown in the connection between theleaky window framesand the wall. To prevent leaks, you should caulk the window where it meets the exterior trim. If the window pane is surrounded by wood trim, you can use a high-quality polyurethane caulk to seal any gaps between the window trim.
There are a few disadvantages you should consider before putting weatherstripping on all your windows. For example, this is not a good option for windows that you want to open on mild days to let in some fresh air, as you would have to apply new tape. When you remove the tape, it may also strip off some of the paint around your windows. Additionally, sealing tapes are not particularly effective, and you may not even notice the difference. However, if you're looking for a quick and cheap solution, at least until you have the time to use a better method, weatherstripping can help. This is especially true when you combine this option with other drafty window solutions.
If you want to seal your windows with a sealing tape
One of the easiest ways to seal some leaks is to tape a special window sealing tape, which you can purchase at your local hardware store, over the edges of your window. First measure the perimeter of each window and then add 10% to account for the material. You can choose vinyl, felt or metal gasket materials. However, these vary greatly in price and performance, so it's best to do your research before making a decision. Here's how to make sure you get the right one for your home. Also, before applying weatherstripping, clean your windows and make sure they are dry. The outside temperature should be at least -7 °C. Apply weatherstripping tightly to both the sash and frame. Be careful not to interfere with the mechanism of the window.
You can seal some gaps on the sides, tops, and bottoms of your windows to reduce drafts and stop heat loss. There are different types of weather protection. You can use a vinyl, aluminum, or stainless steel V-channel on the sides of your double hung or sliding windows. The downside is that this material can make it difficult to open and close your windows once installed. Felt seals create less resistance when you operate your windows. However, keep in mind that these will not last longer than a season or two. Also, do not use felt where there is a lot of moisture as it is more susceptible to mold growth. Easily visible, it's not the most attractive eitherSolution for sealing windows.
If you want to use sealant
First, clean your windows and make sure they are dry. You can apply silicone sealant to all the joints in a window frame and the joint between the frame and your wall. However, when doing this, make sure you hold the caulking gun at a consistent 45-degree angle to get deep into the cracks. Caulk in a continuous stream as best you can, and if it oozes out of the crack, use a putty knife to force the caulk back in. Also be careful not to skimp on quantity. If the caulk shrinks into the crack, reapply it to ensure a smooth bead forms to completely seal your cracks.
If the existing caulk has hardened and is coming loose, running caulk over it is certainly an exercise in futility. The old gasket will continue to loosen and take the new gasket with it. Before that happens, you'll be faced with a thick, messy line of caulk that mars the look of the window. Scrape off the old caulk with a steel putty knife. You can also make your own draft excluders or shrink wrap kits. Many materials are needed - both in terms of the number of tools and the quantity of each material - including fabric, scissors, tape, insulation, shrink wrap, pins, and most likely a sewing machine. For a DIY draft excluder, you'll need to measure your windows, cut your fabric, fold it in half, sew seams, turn the fabric tube inside out, add insulation, and sew it together.
How you can seal your windows using a simple method
If you are willing to remove either your exterior or interior window trim, you will be able to seal window and door leaks much better and permanently. Using spray foam not only prevents air from entering, but also waterproofs the treated area. And this is how it works:
- Use a pry bar and hammer to remove the window trim (either inside or outside - not both).
- Fill the cavity with expanding spray foam in a can.
- Don't worry about overcrowding. Leave it sticking out of the wall. What you shouldn't do is touch the foam while it's wet. You will make a huge, difficult to clean mess.
- After the foam dries (it takes several hours), cut off the excess with a knife.
- Replace the trim in the reverse order that you removed it, touching up paint as needed.
- Leaks also occur when weatherstripping is worn out. You may need to remove the operable portion of the window to locate the weatherstrip:
- For sliding windows, open them halfway and lift the window off the bottom rail. Then first pull the window out of the opening at the bottom.
- For single-pane windows, you usually simply release a lever on the side rail(s) of the window frame. Contact the manufacturer for specific instructions.
After you remove the operable portion of the window, it becomes fairly obvious where the weatherstripping is and how it needs to be replaced. Most hardware stores offer replacement weatherstripping in removable rolls. If you're not sure what to do, take the section you removed with you to the store or take a photo of the area that needs attention. You may need a solvent to loosen old gasket. Adhesive solvents are available in aerosol cans for easy application.
Alternative window seal
Another trick is to create an interior window seal using plastic wrap, cling wrap, or bubble wrap. One of the most popular DIY winter window sealing methods is applying plastic, such as cling film or a special plastic window sealing film from a home insulation kit, to your glass using a double-sided tape. Then use your hair dryer to shrink the plastic over the window. For bubble wrap, you can spray a mist of water onto the glass and then apply the wrap. The water acts as an adhesive.
However, using plastic is not the best way to seal windows for the winter, as the cracks around your windows will still remain open to heat loss. Plus, plastic doesn't exactly provide a strong barrier for insulating drafty windows. It also doesn’t do the aesthetics of your home any favors. But like other sealing methods, it may help a little until you decide on a permanent and more powerful method. Add insulating window coverings for indoor use too. Covering the inside of your windows has several energy-saving benefits. First, simply covering the glass at night reduces radiant heat loss. If you install window coverings with a perimeter seal, you willDrafts and heat lossesalso reduced by air movements.
