While it’s fun to cozy up on the couch with a favorite blanket, this shouldn’t be a necessity. If your home features drafty rooms that make hoodies and heavy socks a requirement, aging windows could be the culprit. Eventually, you’ll want to replace windows that have outlived their efficiency. Otherwise, your utility bill will only keep creeping upward. In the meantime, however, try these easy tips for insulating a drafty window that lets in more cold air than it keeps out.
Caulk Around the Frame of a Drafty Window
You can caulk both the exterior and interior frames of old windows. In fact, if you do it correctly, it will help lend a finished appearance to the window itself. Make sure you choose the right type of caulking. Exterior caulk should be waterproof and able to hold up under extremes of temperature. Interior caulk should be free of volatile organic compounds that off-gas fumes. It should be paintable, as well.
To caulk your window frames neatly, use a caulking gun with a thumb release, and use both hands to guide it. Run your bead from the end to the middle and stop. Then finish the job by starting at the other end and running to meet the first bead in the middle. Smooth carefully with a wet finger or a caulk applicator and do small sections at a time to prevent the bead from overflowing the seam. Take your time and use the right tools and the right caulking to do an attractive job.
It’s also important to note that you should remove any old, cracked caulking before applying new. Done correctly, caulk can greatly improve the energy efficiency of a drafty window.
Use Weatherstripping as Window Sealing
Weatherstripping for windows comes in various forms, including:
- Self-stick foam
- Ring caulk
- Nail-on tubular gasket
- V-strip
- Self-stick tubular gasket
- Spring bronze
You’ll need the right type of weatherstripping for your window design. Your best bet is to talk with a specialist at your home improvement store, or call the window services company that installed your existing windows. Of course, most times, your windows may have come with your home. If this is the situation, your local hardware store should be able to help.
To install weatherstripping, you’ll want to make sure surfaces are clean and dry. Nail-on stripping works well if your frames and sashes are made of wood. For newer windows that are vinyl or composite, self-adhesive foam is fine.
Try Plastic Shrinkwrap to Seal a Drafty Window
If there’s only one window that’s a problem, or if you’re only concerned with sealing your windows through winter, plastic shrinkwrap is a suitable alternative. You can buy ready-made kits at your local home improvement store to make the process easier.
Usually, kits come with double-sided tape that you install all around the window. Then, you’ll press the plastic shrinkwrap snug to the tape and use a hairdryer to shrink the plastic. The plastic pulls taut, and the window is neatly sealed, cutting off drafts at the source.
Regardless of which type of window sealing you try, all will do wonders for plugging up the influx of cold air from a drafty window. Master Seal offers many home improvement services, including:
- Doors
- Windows
- Pilaster
Call Master Seal to Replace Your Old, Drafty Window
Eventually, it will make sense to give up on the repair of aging windows and trade them in for newer models that don’t need continuous tweaking. As a result, you’ll have beautiful, pristine windows that greatly enhance how your home looks and how it performs. In Rosedale, Maryland, and the surrounding areas, call Master Seal at 855.608.1580 or visit us online to see all we have to offer in the way of new doors and window services.
