Fixing Drafty Windows and Doors

Drafty windows and doors can really decrease the comfort level in your home by making it almost impossible to regulate the climate inside. In the summer the drafty windows and doors allow hot air in, making the air conditioner work harder to keep it cool inside. In the winter, having a cold draft coming in through windows or doors can not only make the inside of the house too cold, it also brings a very unpleasant surprise at the end of the month when the heating bill arrives.Stop dealing with these drafts! Get them taken care of now while the weather is nice.Where is the Draft Coming From?There are three great ways to find out where drafts may be in your home.One, walk past your windows and doors and see if you can feel a draft on your hands. These drafts will most often be around the edges of the windows and doors. In some windows the draft may be coming through the window pane itself if there is an opening in it that you can’t see or the pane is thin.Two, slowly walk around your home with a lit candlestick (candle jars don’t work as well). If you see the candle move standstill and see if it moves again, if it does you have a draft in that area. If the flame completely goes out, you definitely have a draft that you should get fixed soon.Three, hire a professional to come in and find the drafts for you. You can also contact your local power company as some will provide this service for free.Sealing Drafty Windows and DoorsWith drafty windows, once you find where the draft is you can seal it with caulking (in most cases). You also can completely replace the weather stripping around the window if it is starting to breakdown.For doors, sealing the door frame with caulking and adding a door sweep on the bottom are easy ways to stop a draft dead in its tracks. If you have a screen door, by replacing it with a storm door or closing the storm windows in one you may have already, will give you an additional barrier to keep drafts out of the house.Replacing Drafty Windows and DoorsAlways try to fix drafty windows and doors first, before you decide to replace them. Once you have tried to fix them and the fix is not sticking or the drafts are just not going away, it is time to replace them.When replacing the drafty windows and doors, do so with energy-efficient replacements. Being new, windows and doors will naturally be less drafty. Being energy efficient, they will keep the cold and hot air from coming in to the house through the window or door itself. Renewal by Andersen is available to answer any questions. Feel free to contact our showroom or schedule a consultation with one of our award winning team members.