Reduce Your Energy Costs By Draught Proofing Your Sash Windows
Reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows, and have a more comfortable house as well as lower utility bills. Sounds good – now you have to asses the need, count the cost, and decide which method will fit best with your house, your level of skill, and your budget.
Sash windows move up and down in a frame, and are usually made of wood, though they may be metal or even hard plastic. This type of window is typical of older homes and houses built in traditional styles. The windows have two sections, one or both moving up and down to admit the outside air, or shut it out. They are attractive and pleasant to live with, until they lose their sealing power.
As the house ages, its windows may lose both their inner and outer seals, the panes may become loose, and the sashes rattle in their frames. They may become hard to raise and lower because of layers of old paint, and may have rotten cords and latches. As people struggle to make the windows work, the frames get looser, the panes lose their putty, and more air leaks in around the window than through it.
Replacing windows is an expensive and extreme reaction to this situation, which can be corrected by temporary weatherstripping or by long lasting structural repairs. Many homeowners would rather keep old windows for their historic value, their suitability to the character of the house, and as a less costly solution.
Weatherstripping refers to the practice of blocking air flow around the parts of a window with strips of material. These strips can be felt, putty cord, foam, or even metal. The weatherproofing material simply blocks the gap between the window and its frame, or the frame and the wall, and the space where the two parts of the window meet. Weatherstripping can be applied in a manner that is almost invisible, but many do it yourself homeowners just ignore the look during the winter months in order to save energy.
Weatherstripping can be hidden from view if the trim is removed from around the window, but this is beyond many homeowners, who sacrifice appearance for heat retention during the winter months. There are also kits that contain air tight plastic sheets, that homeowners can tape to the inside of windows and then shrink to fit, using a hair dryer or other heat source. Even heavy curtains can block draughts in a similar mechanical manner.
A better way is to take the time and trouble to dismantle the window, remove the outer trim and repair or replace the caulk that fills the gap between the frame and the wall. The inner trim can be removed as well, to weatherstrip around the frame on the inside without leaving the stripping material in plain sight. Old putty should be removed from each pane and new putty applied, and even the pulleys, sash cords, and beads can be replaced. A good thing to add in this complete renovation is hidden, stiff brush strips that allow the window to slide open and shut but make a tight seal against the weather.
Reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows, either yourself or by getting professional help, and reap the rewards of comfort and energy savings.
Get the low down on how to reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows in our secondary glazing london and top sash window insulation company review.
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