Do You Feel a Cold Draft? Is It From Your Windows?

As fall and winter approaches, outside there is a chill in the air.

That means our furnaces will soon be turned on and our energy bills will begin to climb. The last thing you want to feel is a cold draft throughout your house.

All too often, those cold drafts are coming from our windows, which could mean that the seal has failed, and the chill in the air outside is finding its way inside.

If you are the owner of an older house, this is probably a situation that you will need to address.

True Story

This summer, one young husband was washing down the outside of the house when he heard his wife screaming from inside. He put down the hose and ran to see what the problem was.

When he reached her she was cleaning up water from the window sills and the floors – water that had come through the edge of the windows where the seal had dried out, leaving their home exposed to water, wind, cold and even insects.

Upon checking their other windows, they discovered that most of them were in the same condition.

That couple has 3 choices:

• They can leave the windows as they are and put up with the inconvenience, cold and high energy costs.
• They can totally replace the windows.
• They can reseal all the windows.

If possible, the ideal option would be to re-caulk.

Re-caulking Tips:

1. Identify the windows that has gaps or cracks. Be sure to check not only inside, but outside as well. Summer weather has a tendancy to dry the caulking out.
2. It is important to remove all the old caulking first. Applying new layers on old ones is not only unsightly, but doesn’t always provide an airtight seal.
   1. To remove the old caulking, apply a caulk softener about 2 hours before you want to begin the removal process. Once the old caulk is softened it should be easily removed with a putty knife.
3. Clean the areas as well as possible from the old, removed caulking, which will allow for a better seal.
4. Use a siliconized latex acrylic caulk for best results.
   1. Using a smooth motion, push the caulk along the area you want sealed.
   2. Use a wet finger to smooth it out and give it a finished look.

Once your windows are sealed up tight, you may want to have them cleaned for beautiful autumn and winter views.    Give me a call to set up an appointment or for a free estimate