How Find Air Leaks and Seal Drafty Windows – Window Sealing
As the humid and hot summer weather fades away to give rise to cooler temperatures of the winter season, it’s important to be prepared for this seasonal change.
Checking for air leaks and sealing drafty windows are simple solutions to avoid cold spots in your house. That means you can warm your house more easily and minimize your utility bills.
Though you may not know it, drafty windows reduce the efficiency of your heating system by up to 25%.
Besides saving a significant amount of money on your monthly utility bills, sealing all the air leaks in your home allows you to control the cooling and heating system.
However, this can be a little challenging if you don’t know how to check for air leaks and seal drafty windows. Don’t worry though, we will tell you all you need to know.
So, Why Do Windows Get Drafty?
As you may know, the glazing putty on old windows may dry up and crack over time. The putty can also grow brittle and fall off, leaving the glass rattling in the process. With wooden windows, double-hung sashes may shrink and wear out with age, letting in cold air. Even worn-out weather stripping and broken gaskets can result in drafty aluminum and vinyl windows.
How To Look For Air Leaks
To effectively control your house’s cooling system, it’s essential to seal all the air openings in the house. These leaks can occur at several places, not just windows. This is especially true for houses built with board. So, you need to first check to see where air leaks are occurring in your home.
That means you need to regularly inspect your windows, doors and other areas to ensure that there are no water or air leaks. Luckily, you can use several inspection techniques to detect any gaps that may let in cold air and then seal those drafty windows. These methods include:
1. Home Pressurization Test
If you are having a problem identifying air leaks in your house, you can conduct a simple home pressurization test. This technique focuses on increasing the amount of air getting into your house through cracks and other gaps, making them easy to spot. Here is how to successfully do the test at home:
- On a windy day, turn off water heaters, gas, burning furnaces and other combustion appliances.
- Shut the exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues.
- Using a large window fan, suck the air out of your room or turn on all bathroom fans, clothes dryer, and stove vents.
- Light an incense stick or anything else that can give out smoke and pass it around the areas where leaks tend to occur. The smoke will start wavering and getting sucked out if there is an air leak.
- You can also use your hand to check for air leakage. Any place with an air opening will feel cool on your hand.
2. Use A Flashlight
This simple air-leak detection method is mainly suitable for detecting large cracks in your house. You need to shine the light on your house, while your partner looks for any visible rays from the outside. Of course, this method is only effective if used at night. Keep in mind that this method may not help you to detect small holes and cracks.
3. Check For Door Leaks
Sometimes you may believe your windows are the problem when the real issue is your doors. As we all know, open spaces on your door may cause air and water leaks. The simplest method to check for air leaks on your door is to hold a lit candle near the seams on a windy day. If the flame wavers or bends, it indicates that air is moving from the outside, pushing through your door.
Other methods of inspecting your doors for leaks include:
- Checking your door for cracks that hinder its ability to prevent air leaks.
- Inspecting your doors for worn out or peeling weather stripping
- Ensuring that the door hinges fit well in their threshold, sealing the door tight.
4. Check Out Skylight Leaks
Besides checking your windows and doors for air leaks, it’s important to check your roof or sealing, to ensure that you close all the gaps. To check for skylight air leaks, you need to climb on your roof and look for the following signs:
- Open spaces on the roofing.
- Shingle debris that collects water on the roof.
- Cracked patches that you may have installed during the last roof leakage.
5. Check For Drafty Windows
Now that you have checked the doors and skylight, it’s time to check those windows! During cold seasons, it is very common for drafts of cold air to get into the house, through your closed windows. That’s because most windows have small openings around the frame, allowing air leaks in your house. Of course, this means you will waste power while trying to keep your home warm during the low season. However, you can easily identify and seal drafty windows.
How to Check Drafty Windows
When it comes to inspecting windows for air leaks, you can use various methods. However, it’s advisable to inspect them on a windy day.
The idea is to ensure that there is a significant difference between the outdoor and indoor temperature. Here are a few effective methods of checking for drafty windows:
1. Visual Inspection
Visual inspections are one of the simplest methods to check for drafty windows. Start by inspecting your windows from the outside and checking for areas where air can go through. You should also check to ensure that there are no places where caulking has failed, leaving spaces between the wall and the window. You should also check for damaged glazing in glass window panes, especially at the edges.
After inspecting your house from the outer side, check the weather-stripping inside the house and look for any sign of damage around the windows. Check for any space or cracks in the window glass, sash, and frame. That will help you to identify all the areas that need new or additional caulking.
2. Check For Broken Or Loose Windows
To minimize air leaks through your windows, you need to ensure that they are closing tightly. Here is what you have to do to know whether there are any spaces left when you close your windows;
- Put a piece of paper on the sill, before shutting the window.
- Try to take out the paper when the window is closed.
- If the paper comes out easily without folding or tearing, then you need to install new insulation or replace the window.
If you do this simple test the right way, then you should not have any issues when trying to determine if your window is loose. Keep in mind that some windows only need a quick look to know if they can close tightly.
3. Mechanical Test Using A Thermometer
If you can fit in into your budget, you can try to use an infrared thermometer to detect drafty windows. This non-contact thermometer is very effective in checking for air leaks around your frames. It measures the temperatures of your room and helps you to identify any area that may leak. That means you need to compare the temperatures of different areas to know where cold air is passing through. You can expect to read lower temperature levels in areas that need sealing.
4. Check The Locks
If the windows locking mechanism has an issue, then cold air will easily get into your house. To avoid that, ensure that double-hung windows slide smoothly into place, sealing the entire gap between both panels. You should also make sure that the top locks grab the latches fully.
In case your double-hung windows have an issue moving smoothly up and down, you can pass a knife around the frame, loosening up any dried paint. You can also consider tightening the cranks on casement windows.
How To Fix Drafty Windows: Sealing Drafty Windows
While checking for drafty windows, you should ensure that you note down or mark all the areas that have a problem. That ensures that you don’t forget when it comes to fixing them. With that said, you should know that there are several methods to fix air leaking windows. Here are various simple ideas that are worth a try, when sealing your windows:
- Rope Caulking
Rope chulk is a special type of window sealer. It is made of a soft and sticky substance that fits in different gaps, closing all the spaces between your window panels. This form of caulking is readily available in various stores and is very affordable. You can also remove it easily when you need to create air spaces.
- Shrink Film
Installed using a double-sided seal tape, this clear plastic film shrinks when heated with a hairdryer, forming a tight seal on your window. This plastic sheeting prevents drafts and seals off any air getting in your house from outside. You can easily remove them using rubbing alcohol, to release the tape without taking off the paint.
- V-Seal Weather Stripping
This plastic weather stripping is suitable for use along the window sashes. This sealant is affordable, easy to apply and very effective at keeping out cold air. More importantly, you can close and open your windows after applying them.
- Nail Polish
If applied properly, clear nail polish can fill any hole or cracks on your windows, forming an air-tight invisible sealant. After hardening, the nail polish stabilizes your glass, lasting for several months, or until you decide to replace the window pane. You may also consider replacing it with a clear weather-seal tape.
- Draft Snake
If you want to seal the space at the bottom of your window to avoid cold air leaks, you should consider buying a draft snake kit. This kit is made of a sealing foam and fabric, which significantly reduces the amount of air getting in through your window.
To install it, cut the 36-inch foam to match the length of your window and add the washable cover on top. Place it on the sill and shut the window. If done correctly, the snake draft kit is very effective at fixing drafty windows and minimizing air leaks.
- Replace Missing Or Loose Glazing
With new windows, the glazing putty installed seals off all the openings and helps control the cold air getting into your house. However, the glazing tends to crack and fall off after some time. However, it can be easily replaced. It’s a good thing that it’s relatively cheap.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to fix or replace missing glazing:
- Start by removing all the old glazing putty on your window
- Remove the window pane and put a fresh bed of putty
- Press the glass window pane on the putty
- Add glazing point to secure the pane into the sash
- Using a flat-bladed screwdriver, push the glazing points into place
- Apply a thin layer of putty on top and smooth it using a putty knife.
You should keep in mind that window glazing needs to be regularly replaced. That’s because as the putty ages, it tends to loosen its seal around the glass and may fall off.
- Consider Storm Windows
If you have old storm windows lying around your garage, you should consider installing them during the winter season. These interior windows attach directly to your frame, providing extra insulation for reducing air leaks. In many cases, this can be a better option to sealing drafty windows.
The best part is that storm windows are economical, and you can take them off come summer. These windows are very effective in cutting drafts, and they only need a few hours to wash and install. However, you should consider repainting and reglazing them, before you install them.
- Replace the window
Seometimes sealing a window is not enough. As we all know, a rotten, worn out or chronically rattling window is no longer useful when it comes to sealing air leaks. Even if you seal this window, it might still get drafty. It just won’t last. That means you need to take out the old windows and replace them with new ones. However, you may need to call in a pro, if you don’t think you can handle the installation process. The best part is that this is a long-lasting solution.
Bottom Line:
As you can see, it’s essential to seal all air leaks in your home, to ensure that you enjoy the maximum benefits from your cooling system. As you can also see, window sealing is not at all difficult. Ideally, you should ensure that there is no space letting in cold air in your house or causing any energy leaks. With the methods that we’ve discussed above, you can easily find air leaks and seal drafty windows.
The post How To Find Air Leaks And Seal Drafty Windows – Window Sealing appeared first on Boom Speaker.
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