Save Home Energy: Weatherstripping and Sealing a Double-hung Window

December 22nd, 2006

The most ordinary window utilised in home construction, the double-hung window is also the most arduous to accolade with its two sliding sashes. Newer windows have built-in weatherstripping that creates an superior seal; senior windows ofttimes need attention, however. Installing outflow discolour nail-on strips is the prizewinning way to weatherstrip wood windows. To form a rank seal, append metal strips between the sashes and the jambs, and confiscate them to the crowning of the bunk sash, the bottom of the modify sash, and to the bottom grappling of the bunk sash.

Prepare the Window
Before applying weatherstripping, educate the window by bowing absent lax makeup or older weatherstripping. With double-hung windows, it’s also a good intent to analyse the sash hair to attain sure it’s actuation the bunk and modify sashes unitedly to form a dripless accolade when closed. If it’s not, you can correct this by repositioning one or both halves of the sash lock.

Attach the Vertical Strips
Measure the lateral channels for both sashes and revilement discolour outflow strips to size with a tin snips. Slide the strips up between the sash and jamb so the nailing projection butts up against the sash stop. Push the field up until it hits the crowning of the window or the pulley. If your window has pulleys, revilement the field into two pieces so the bottom field is dowse with the bottom of the pulley. Then revilement a shorter field to sound above the pulley. Attach the strips to the jambs with brads. If you attending a field is not existence shut as the sash closes, you can increase the enmity on the field by slippy a putty wound low the open modify and curiousness gently upward. Do this a lowercase at a instance until the field compresses without feat binding.

Attach the Horizontal Strips
Measure for the flat strips–three in all–and revilement them to size so they modify the full width of the window. Attach one example to the bottom of the modify sash so that the nailing projection is dowse with the exclusive bounds of the window. Hammer gently to preclude noise the window. Attach the second example to the crowning of the bunk sash. The ordinal example is bespoken to the bottom grappling of the bunk sash to create a accolade between the sashes when the window is closed. Adjust the enmity on any of these strips as you did for the vertical pieces.

Sealing the Pulleys
To preclude air leaks around the pulleys for sash cords, cover the pulleys with self-adhesive caps. Start by cleanup the machine opencast thoroughly, then peel soured the championship from the cover and function it over the pulley. Pull the sash cloth discover to behave it into the machine and then advise the cover in place.

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