July 25, 2008
Pre-Winter Caulking and Weatherstripping
YOU DON'T have to buy new doors and windows to make your home more energy efficient this winter. In some instances, the taping and cutting skills of a kindergartener are all you need to plug some leaky drafts with inexpensive weatherstripping products. And with home heating fuel prices expected to be up by as much as 40 percent, spending a few dollars and a little time on weatherproofing is a good idea.
Available at most home centers and hardware stores, the products include self-sticking foam tape and felt padding, metal tension strips, door thresholds and window insulation kits. Most of them installin minutes to the in-
terior,stationary edges and moldings of doors and windows.
Even if you have newer doors or windows, take some time to make your own inspection. Because entry doors and windows are used frequently, even factory-installed weatherstripping is prone to rapid wear. With the help of a partner, you can use flashlights, disposable lighters and crisp dollar bills to check your doors and windows for leaks and cracks.
Let's take entry doors first. The perimeter of an entry door is where you'll likely find air leakage. With the door closed, hold a lit disposable lighter to the inside perimeter of the door. Slowly move the lighter along the perimeter. A flicker or moving flame will signify a leak. Another way to test an entry door is to wait until dark and have a partner slowly run a lit flashlight along the exterior perimeter of the door. The other person should examine the interior perimeter. If light is detected, you'll know there's a leak along the door jamb.
The simplest and least expensive remedy for these leaks is foam weatherstripping tape. The foam comes in a few sizes, but 3/8-inch (wide) by 3/16-inch (thick) is common. Expect to pay about $ 3 to $ 4 for about 20 feet of foam tape. Unroll the foam and press the sticky side along the jamb where the edge of the door meets the molding or door stop (see photo). You can trim the foam with a utility knife.
An old, rickety door might need more than foam weatherstripping. Thicker felt strips can be used in the same manner as foam tape. The felt is nailed or stapled in place and also trims with a utility knife.
In more extreme cases, a metal or plastic tension strip can be nailed to the door jamb. But before you do, be sure the door is stable by tightening all hinge screws and making sure all molding is firmly in place. When installing tension strips, the open end of the V-shaped material should face the outdoors. You can cut the material with tin snips, then adjust the spacing of the the V with a putty knife.
Tension strips can't be used on the bottom edge of the door, so if there's leakage at floor level, door sweeps or a new threshold might be in order. A door sweep nails to the bottom edge of the interior side and features a raised, rubberlike material that seals the opening between the door and the threshold. (The threshold is the piece of wood or metal that fits on the floor or door sill and underneath the bottom edge of the door.) Some thresholds are "undercut" to fit, meaning the bottom edges of the doorstops (the molding against which the door closes) cover the threshold. To remove an undercut threshold, cut it in half with a backsaw, then pry it away with a pry bar. You might save any shims, thin wood or metal pieces, that were placed under the old threshold. You might be able to use the same shims to help level the new threshold. Also, be careful not to damage the door stops. Try to find a similar type of threshold at a home center or hardware store. If the shape of the new threshold is markedly different, trace the shape of the edges onto the doorstop with a pencil, then carefully use a wood chisel to form a new cutout for the threshold. Metal or plastic thresholds can be cut for width with a hacksaw. Wood thresholds can be cut with a backsaw. Most new thresholds will have predrilled holes for securing it to the sill.
Another effective way to plug leaks in doors and windows is to secure all loose molding-use some new finishing nails for this-then fill the cracks with common painter's caulk.
You can detect the location of leaks in windows by running your open palm along the perimeter. However, another method is using tissue paper taped to a wire hanger. Tape the paper to the hanger so the longest pieces hang out, like a pair of pants. Slowly run the hanger along the perimeter. When the paper moves noticeably, you've found a leak. Another method is to close a window on a dollar bill. If the bill slides out easily from the edge when the window is closed, you need to weatherproof.
Tension strips also are available for use on sash channels, the inside edge of the window frame and in wood single- and double-hung windows. The strips install nearly the same way as on a door, and the open end of the strip can be adjusted with a putty knife. In double-hung windows, lift the bottom sash and push down on the top sash to give yourself access to the bottom rails. Tension strips can be applied to the bottom edge of the top sash. Felt padding can be used on the rail of single- hung windows, which only allows for movement of the bottom sash.
Foam tape can be used on the underside of the bottom sash, too. Wipe the sash with a damp rag and let it dry before applying the foam tape.
Disposable caulk and insulation kits also can be applied to windows. The clear, disposable caulk fits around the window casing and can be peeled away in the spring. Shrink-wrap insulation kits come with thin, clear plastic sheeting that sticks to the interior window frame. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, which almost always include using a hair dryer to tighten the plastic sheeting as a final installation step.
In newer vinyl and casement windows, use self-sticking foam tape to replace worn weatherstripping on inside edges. You might be successful matching old weatherstripping by taking a piece to a home center. Using a product that has to be nailed or glued could damage the vinyl or vinyl cladding in a newer door or window.
Caulking the aluminum trim around doors and windows on the exterior also will eliminate drafts. Wipe the surfaces clean with a damp rag and wait until it dries before applying the caulk. Be careful, however, not to plug weep holes, indentations and openings in the sill area that allow moisture to escape.
Rubber compression strips and window insulation kits also are available for patio doors, often a cause of drafts and leaks.
If you feel some of the insulation steps are too difficult, especially replacing thresholds, even the simplest step, applying foam tape, can reduce drafts.
If you're good with a caulk gun, inspect exterior openings of the house. Caulk around dryer vents, spigots, telephone lines and cable boxes. Plastic window well covers can be used outside to reduce the draft on basement windows.
You'll also be surprised how much cold air enters the house through outlets and light switches located on the interior walls that form the perimeter of your home. Preformed foam insulation panels are designed to fit over the switch or outlets. Simply remove the switch plate or outlet cover, place the foam panel into place and reattach the switch plate. A package runs a few dollars and contains enough panels to insulate several outlets and switches.
Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.
