A Few Quick Tips for Eliminating Window Drafts
By Mark J. Donovan
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On cold winter months when the wind is howling outside do you feel breezes in your home? If you do then chances are your home has a window draft problem. Besides feeling uncomfortably chilled in your house during winter months, and excessively warm during the dog days of summer, you’re also overworking your home heating and cooling system. Moreover you’re paying higher energy bills than you need to.
To confirm you have drafty windows place your hand up around the window sash and frame on a cold and breezy winter day or night. |
If you feel air breezes on your hand then first check to see if the window is shut tightly and the hardware is locked. If you still feel a breeze, then use a lighted candle or piece of tissue paper to see where the draft is exactly coming from on/around the window.
| Move the lit candle or tissue paper around the interior window frame to see where the draft is coming from. Warning – Make sure you don’t light your curtains on fire by removing them prior to doing the test with a lit candle. The flame or paper should abruptly move sideways when you find the leaky spots around the window frame.
Once you’ve identified the offending areas of the window frame that are causing the draft, check to make sure the weatherstripping near the window leak is not damaged or worn out. If it is, then replace it. |
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Similarly, check on the outside of the home to see if the window caulking is cracked or non-existent. If it is, remove any loose or cracked caulk and then re-apply window caulk around the exterior window frame.
| If the above remedies do not eliminate the window drafts then either replace the windows or install a window insulation kit.
The window insulation kit basically includes a shrink-wrap film material that you place over the interior of the window and then shrink using a hair dryer. If you don’t want to install new windows or shrink wrap the windows then alternatively you can install drapes, shades and/or shudders over the interior of the windows to mitigate some of the window drafts. |
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For more information on Installing Replacement Windows and Interior Window Trim
- See the Installing a New Window Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Installing a New Window Ebook provides easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, on how to remove an old window and install a new one. Pictures are included for every key step in the process.
- See the Installing Interior Window Trim Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Installing Interior Window Trim Ebook provides easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, on how to install interior window trim around a window. Pictures are included for every key step in the process.
Related Information
Additional Window Installation and Maintenance Resources from Amazon.com
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