A familiar story with older homes is that the original windows let in drafts and allow a large transfer of air. This problem will cost you some money in both the summer and winter, where you will spend that extra money on keeping your house cool and warm because of the air transfer. When it rains, do you find that your windows leak? If so, this can be more then just an annoying problem, the water can seep into your walls creating and structure. The trapped moisture could lead to molds and air pollutants.

You might think it is time for new windows, but that is not necessarily the case. Storm windows have been around for years and you might even have them in your basement. These can easily slide into place, covering your beautiful old stained glass or lead windows without having to replace them and damage your home’s curb appeal. Storm windows will cut all your air transfers and leaks at the same time. All this at a fraction of the cost of having your windows replaced! It is keeping your money in your pocket.

The usual aluminum triple track, which gets its name because it holds two glass sashes and the screen which slides up and down on two separate tracks, will not win any beauty contests. However, it will play a preservation role which will protect valued windows from the elements.

One of the common mistakes people make is caulking a storm window’s bottom edge and along the windowsill. This tends to trap water, which leaks in or pools on the inside area between your windows. You will want to give that water an opportunity to escape before it damage can occur.

Chris Paulsen
cpaulsen@homerenovationguide.com

I have these old windows in my house and they need to be updated. Of course, cosmetics are the number one reason, but they also let out quite a bit of heat from my house in the winter. This is a real problem with older homes. The loss of heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer will cost you more $$$. The energy transfer (loss) is about 7% in my house which affects both my gas and electrical annual bills. This costs people money without them even knowing it - literally money being thrown out the window. Weather stripping can help, along with plastic film that is used to surround the window area and keep out the cold drafts.

Another source of heat loss that I found was my front door. I recently gutted my entire main floor with a few things left unfinished, and one of them was the front door. So, on an extremely cold night, I decided to find out if the door and frame was drafty. An old trick is to hold a lit lighter or match around the area, as any flicker in the flame or even blowing it out indicates some air getting through. But since I didn’t have a match or a lighter, I used a piece of Kleenex, which also does the trick. I found areas around my door that need to be chalked and filled in. While I cut down the draft, I didn’t eliminate it. So I am going to get a new door installed, along with all of the windows in my house this spring. Be sure to check out Sears Home Central .

Chris Paulsen cpaulsen@homerenovationguide.com