Is Your House Ready For Cool Weather?

As colder weather gets closer (although as I’m writing this, its 76 degrees and I feel a little silly) the biggest leak for your warm air is often through old and worn out weather stripping. This month, HouseLogic provided a great article on replacing weather stripping and now is a great time to do it! (Because, really, 76 is a nice time to be outside!)

At least once a year you should look at the seals around your windows and doors.

• Self-adhesive foam tape loses its grip over time, causing it to pull away from the door or window frame — or fall off completely. Foam also can lose its resilience, no longer springing up to fill the gap.

• Rubber and vinyl weather stripping becomes dry, brittle, and cracked. Over time, it can also lose its shape and effectiveness.

• Spring-metal V-shaped weather stripping bends out of shape, cracks in spots, and comes loose thanks to missing nails.

Once you have removed the old and worn out stripping, you have plenty of options on replacing it. As with most things in life, the cheaper the option, the less durable over time it will be. Figure out what is right for you and your budget. The article (link at the bottom) has some great information on several types of stripping to choose between.

Make sure you prep your work area before you start to apply the new stripping. Sand it down if necessary and fill in all previous holes to prevent any air gap later and a good tight fit.

Then you’re ready to start the install!

Adhesive-style weather stripping: Remove the backing and press firmly in place. Removing the backing as you go helps prevent the sticky part of the strip from accidentally adhering to something it shouldn’t.

Nail-in weather stripping: Fasten the strips in place by nailing through the pre-punched holes. For double-hung windows, you’ll need to install the lower half, drop the sash, and then install the upper half.

To get more tips, check out the full article here!

Read more: https://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/windows-doors/how-to-replace-weather-stripping/#ixzz3rlO6e9xH
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