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How V Seal Weatherstrip Can Help You Reduce Drafts in Winter: A Simple Way to Weatherize Your Home



Reducing the amount of air that leaks in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs, improve durability, increase comfort, and create a healthier indoor environment. Caulking and weatherstripping are two simple and effective air-sealing techniques that offer quick returns on investment, often one year or less. Caulk is generally used for cracks and openings between stationary house components such as around door and window frames, and weatherstripping is used to seal components that move, such as doors and operable windows.


Weatherstripping is a very simple and relatively low-cost way to improve the energy efficiency of a home by reducing air leaks through doors and operable windows by sealing the movable connections when the door or window is closed, providing better protection against air drafts. Estimates show that air leaks due to improperly sealed and weatherized homes account for 30-40% of a home's overall heating and cooling loss.[2] As well as letting warm or cool air travel from its desired location, air drafts and leaks damage the homes insulation since warm, moist air leaving the house can dampen the insulation. This in turn reduces its effectiveness.




Simple Way to Weatherize: V Seal Weatherstrip Reduces Drafts in Winter




Knowing how to tell if the seal on a door or window is important if drafts are to be detected. To check if a door or window may be leaking due to insufficient or improperly applied weatherstripping, close the door on a piece of paper. If you need to put some effort to pull the paper out, the weatherstripping is likely providing a good seal. If you can pull the paper out very easily, the weatherstripping is likely not tight enough or in good shape. As well, check to see if the weatherstripping is soft and pliable to mould to the shape of the door or window and provide a good seal. Finally, if you cannot see any daylight or feel any drafts coming through the window or door, the seal provided by the weatherstripping is likely good.[5]


Before winter, you can choose from weatherstripping, extra caulking, draft stoppers, and DIY shrink-wrap kits in an effort to weather seal your windows and reduce the amount of drafts felt over the cold months.


Indow window insert installation is incredibly simple. A full installation can be completed in a few minutes per window and there is no construction necessary (so no holes in the side of your home!). If you accidentally waited too long to install inserts during the fall and winter weather has already arrived, no problem. The inserts can still be installed during the cold, harsh winter months from the comfort of inside your home. No more questioning how to seal leaky windows in winter.


Air sealing your home is simple, effective, and relatively inexpensive. Caulking and weatherstripping will usually pay for themselves in energy savings within a year. Use caulk for cracks and openings between stationary objects like door and window frames. You can use weatherstripping around anything that moves, like the door itself or window sashes.


Windows, especially in older homes, are a major source of drafts and heat loss. Insulate your windows in winter by sealing the frame with clear plastic cling wrap. Window film is cheap, easy to apply, easy to remove in spring, and can be found at any home improvement store or online. It will only cost a few bucks to insulate every window in your home, but the savings on your heating bill will be big.


A door sweep, also called a bottom seal, provides a barrier against dust, dirt, drafts, snow and moisture. Over time this seal can flatten and crack, which reduces its utility. Fortunately, replacing it is a simple job.


This is a compression type of weatherstripping, meaning that when the window closes against it, the foam compresses to seal gaps and block drafts. It features easy peel-and-stick application and cuts easily with scissors. Just be sure to thoroughly clean the area around the inside of the window, as the adhesive won't stick to dusty, dirty surfaces.


On double-hung windows, apply adhesive-backed foam weatherstripping to the bottom edge of the lower sash, and to the top edge of the upper sash. If you don't want to apply the weatherstripping to the sash, stick it to the sill directly below the lower sash, and to the head jamb above the upper sash. Either way, once the sash is closed and locked, the foam will seal out drafts. On sliding or casement windows, apply the adhesive-backed foam to the vertical edge of the sash or vertically along the side jamb.


This is similar to adhesive-backed foam, except that it's formed into a hollow rubber tube instead of dense foam. When compressed by the sash, the tubular weatherstripping conforms to the space, effectively sealing out drafts. Some tubular gaskets have a peel-and-stick adhesive backing, while others have an attached metal or wood flange that must be secured with nails or screws. Also look for foam-filled tubular gaskets that have a spongy-foam core, which holds its shape better than the hollow-core gaskets.


Insulated garage doors with an R-18 energy efficiency can warm garages by 12 degrees in the winter and cool them by 25 degrees during the summer, which leads to energy savings. With the cost of the garage door itself, however, it may not make sense to replace the one you have just for the energy savings. You can insulate your existing door, though, and add doorstop weatherstripping and a new bottom seal to increase your comfort and energy savings.


When you combine new weatherstripping with other forms of insulation you can reduce or eliminate drafts, as well as keep warm heat inside the home. They are very easy and affordable steps to take to make your house more energy-efficient as well as comfortable in the winter. 2ff7e9595c


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