Reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows, and have a more comfortable house as well as lower utility bills. Sounds good - now you have to asses the need, count the cost, and decide which method will fit best with your house, your level of skill, and your budget.
Sash windows are the kind with a frame, usually wood but maybe metal or plastic, and with a top and a bottom section, one or both of which moves up or down to open the house to the outside air. These windows have been used since the 17th century at least, and in America are found in historic homes from the Colonial and Victorian eras. Many newer homes have used this style as well, as it is attractive and traditional.
As the house ages, its windows may lose both their inner and outer seals, the panes may become loose, and the sashes rattle in their frames. They may become hard to raise and lower because of layers of old paint, and may have rotten cords and latches. As people struggle to make the windows work, the frames get looser, the panes lose their putty, and more air leaks in around the window than through it.
Don't think replacing the windows with modern ones is the only, or the best, option. This is an expensive remedy and one which may destroy the historic integrity of the house. Fixing the existing windows is possible, with either seasonal, temporary means like weatherstripping, or with structural repairs that can leave the windows as good as new.
Weatherstripping refers to the practice of blocking air flow around the parts of a window with strips of material. These strips can be felt, putty cord, foam, or even metal. The weatherproofing material simply blocks the gap between the window and its frame, or the frame and the wall, and the space where the two parts of the window meet. Weatherstripping can be applied in a manner that is almost invisible, but many do it yourself homeowners just ignore the look during the winter months in order to save energy.
Weatherstripping can be hidden from view if the trim is removed from around the window, but this is beyond many homeowners, who sacrifice appearance for heat retention during the winter months. There are also kits that contain air tight plastic sheets, that homeowners can tape to the inside of windows and then shrink to fit, using a hair dryer or other heat source. Even heavy curtains can block draughts in a similar mechanical manner.
Real repair involves dismantling the windows and removing all old caulk, putty, and outworn parts like the sash cords and the 'beads' that seal the channels and the joins where two pieces of wood meet. Removing the outside and inside trim boards can let you see if the caulking 0between the window frame and the wall needs to be redone. Stiff brush strips can be added to the inner parts of the sashes to let them move easily while still being air tight.
Reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows, a common sense solution which can be done yourself or by a professional draught proofing specialist.
Sash windows are the kind with a frame, usually wood but maybe metal or plastic, and with a top and a bottom section, one or both of which moves up or down to open the house to the outside air. These windows have been used since the 17th century at least, and in America are found in historic homes from the Colonial and Victorian eras. Many newer homes have used this style as well, as it is attractive and traditional.
As the house ages, its windows may lose both their inner and outer seals, the panes may become loose, and the sashes rattle in their frames. They may become hard to raise and lower because of layers of old paint, and may have rotten cords and latches. As people struggle to make the windows work, the frames get looser, the panes lose their putty, and more air leaks in around the window than through it.
Don't think replacing the windows with modern ones is the only, or the best, option. This is an expensive remedy and one which may destroy the historic integrity of the house. Fixing the existing windows is possible, with either seasonal, temporary means like weatherstripping, or with structural repairs that can leave the windows as good as new.
Weatherstripping refers to the practice of blocking air flow around the parts of a window with strips of material. These strips can be felt, putty cord, foam, or even metal. The weatherproofing material simply blocks the gap between the window and its frame, or the frame and the wall, and the space where the two parts of the window meet. Weatherstripping can be applied in a manner that is almost invisible, but many do it yourself homeowners just ignore the look during the winter months in order to save energy.
Weatherstripping can be hidden from view if the trim is removed from around the window, but this is beyond many homeowners, who sacrifice appearance for heat retention during the winter months. There are also kits that contain air tight plastic sheets, that homeowners can tape to the inside of windows and then shrink to fit, using a hair dryer or other heat source. Even heavy curtains can block draughts in a similar mechanical manner.
Real repair involves dismantling the windows and removing all old caulk, putty, and outworn parts like the sash cords and the 'beads' that seal the channels and the joins where two pieces of wood meet. Removing the outside and inside trim boards can let you see if the caulking 0between the window frame and the wall needs to be redone. Stiff brush strips can be added to the inner parts of the sashes to let them move easily while still being air tight.
Reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows, a common sense solution which can be done yourself or by a professional draught proofing specialist.
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Get the ultimate inside skinny on how to reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows in our comprehensive secondary glazing london and top sash window insulation company overview.
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