Weatherizing Existing Windows Helps Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

In both winter and summer, drafty, poorly sealed windows can create a significant loss of energy. This loss decreases your home’s energy efficiency, wastes energy and drives up indoor comfort costs. You can stop this expensive problem by weatherizing existing windows to prevent energy leaks.

Tips for Weatherizing Existing Windows

• Reglaze windows – Windows with panes sealed in by glaze or putty should be reglazed when the material begins to loose, crack or fall away. Remove all the old putty and ensure the panes are held in place with glaziers’ points — small metal triangles that secure glass panes in the frame. Apply putty and smooth it into place. Alternatively, your local hardware store or window store should be able to reglaze windows for you.
• Add weatherstripping around window frames – Install foam or rubber weatherstripping around the frame of the window. This material should seal off drafts while still allowing the window to open and close normally. V-seal weatherstripping along the sashes is an effective solution. You could also add rope caulk to seal any cracks, gaps or openings around the window frames.
• Apply shrink film to window panes – Put shrink film on the window panes to increase insulation and seal off cracks where air can escape. This material is usually sealed in place with heat from a hair dryer.
• Repair or replace cracked glass panes – The glass in your window can sometimes be repaired by adding a coating of nail polish to small cracks that could cause air leaks. If the panes are broken or if the cracks are large, the better option would be to replace them. Your local hardware store or window store should be able to cut new panes to size and fit them in your window.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues–especially HVAC and plumbing issues–so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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