Nothing makes winter unpleasant like unexpected drafts coming from around your windows or doors. Those little leaks also cost you money in the form of higher heating bills.  Here are 5 things easy you can do to help keep the warm air in and the cold air out:

Add Weatherstripping

Difficulty: Easy

Replacing or adding weatherstripping around door and window openings is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to save on your heating bill. There are 3  popular types of weatherstripping:

• Tubular rubber, vinyl or silicone – Install this at the bottom of doors or windows, at the top or bottom of a window sash or between the door and the doorjamb. Tubular rubber or vinyl is “peel and stick”. Silicone weatherstripping is a little trickier to install – you need to create a channel and press it in.
• Foam tape – Open or closed cell foam with a sticky back. It comes in various sizes. Use this to fill in uneven gaps, especially between window sashes or in door frames.
• V-type – V strip, aka tension seal, is plastic or metal in a “v” shape that springs open to fill in gaps. It’s most effective on double hung windows or along the top or sides of a door.

Replace Door Sweeps

Difficulty: Easy

- Moderate Door sweeps fill in the gap between the bottom of the door and the door sill.  They are cut to the width of your door, then either installed on the bottom edge of the door, or attached to the base on the interior side of the door, depending on the type of door sweep. Ease of installation varies. If you’re not sure which is the best choice for you, your local hardware store should be able to provide advice.

Recaulk Windows and Doors

Difficulty: Easy

- Moderate If it’s been a while since your windows were installed, the old caulk is probably dried and damaged and not doing its job.  Clean out any flaking old caulk if you can, then re-caulk the space around the edge of the frame.  Caulking itself is a fairly easy task, but windows that aren’t reachable from the ground are more challenging. If doing it yourself, follow these ladder safety precautions.

Plastic Window Film

Difficulty: Easy

It’s not the prettiest thing, but if the draft is coming through the glass of your single-pane windows, applying plastic insulating film over them is a quick fix that will help more than you may expect.  It’s very easy to do – just cut the plastic to fit, apply the tape around your window frame, pressing the plastic in place as you go. Heat with a hair dryer afterwards to shrink the film so that it’s tight and less noticeable.

Replace Those Drafty Windows and Doors!

Update drafty old windows to energy-saving double-pane or triple pane windows, add or replace your sagging storm door, get a well-insulated a new entrance door. This is much more of an investment up-front but you will save money on heating and cooling bills in the long run. Not only will your new doors and windows be more energy-efficient, but they’ll look great too!

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If you’re thinking of replacing doors or windows on a home or business in or around Edmonton, give Reflect Window a call! – We’ve been serving happy customers in this area for many years. Our window and door experts would be happy to advise you on the best options for your home. Call today for a free quote!