When it comes to maintaining your home, one of the last things many homeowners consider are their windows. However, your windows are easily one of the most impactful pieces for maintaining your home’s energy efficiency, which means keeping the units in good repair is essential for your comfort, and wallet! One of the most common issues that homeowners often have with their windows is drafts, which can lead to significant heat loss in the wintertime. However, for many homeowners, finding and sealing window leaks can be a difficult, tedious process. However, it doesn’t have to be! If you’re interested in learning more about how you can find & seal drafts in your windows, check out our blog for more information!
Before you can seal your window drafts, the first thing you need to do is find them! Finding drafts often seems like a difficult task, but the truth is any homeowner can do it with a bit of patience and perseverance. When it comes to locating a draft, the oldest trick in the book is to grab a candlestick, light the wick, and gently run it along the edge of your window frame. If the draft is significant enough to produce airflow, the wind rushing in and out of the draft will blow the flame around, making it quite visible to even the most untrained eye. This means that locating a draft is often an incredibly simple process that simply requires a bit of focus! However, once you’ve located the draft, you’ll need to seal it.
Once you’ve found your window drafts, you’ll need to seal them. This is often a simple process, but it depends on the severity of the leak.
The first option, for extremely minor leaks, is to use a bit of weatherstripping on the spot. This often takes care of any minor drafts, but for something more significant, you’ll need to employ other methods.
For larger drafts, you will often want to consider using caulking to seal the leaks properly. This can be purchased at most hardware stores, and applied at home. It won’t take much to cover a draft, so add a bit, and check whether the draft is still noticeable afterwards.
For major leaks, you will likely need to consider replacing the entire unit, but at that point, you should be contacting a window installation professional!
If you need assistance replacing your home’s windows this winter, our team at Oceanside Exteriors is ready to assist! You can contact our team today by calling us at (207) 310-7659 or by filling out our team’s online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your remodeling needs!