Illinois homeowners know how chilly the Chicago area can get during the winter. The Windy City is known for it’s harsh winters, and being able to escape into the comfort of your home and warm up from the cold is important for staying warm during the winters. That means that keeping your windows in good repair is essential for the health & comfort of you & your family. One of the biggest issues that affects the quality of life in your home during the winters are leaky windows. Having a window draft can cause your energy bills to skyrocket and make your home uncomfortable to live in during the winter. This means that finding and sealing window drafts an important piece of home maintenance to consider each winter! Since the nights are getting cold in Illinois, our team wanted to discuss how you can locate and mitigate your window drafts, improving the quality of life in your home!
How To Locate Drafts
The first thing we need to do before discussing how to seal your window drafts is locate the draft itself. Locating a window draft can be a difficult task, as pinpoint the location where air is leaking isn’t as simple as finding a visible hole and patching it. Oftentimes, leaks are far more subtle than that. However, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to help pinpoint exactly where the air is leaking from.
One of the most common tricks for locating a draft is to grab a candlestick. Light the candle, and slowly move it along the peremiter of your windowpanes. If you notice the flame flickering, you’ve likely pin-pointed the source of the leak. It means that your leak is coming from one particular point, rather than a general seal malfunction, which is another possibility.
If you notice that your window feels noticeably colder around the entire peremiter of the pane, it is quite possible that the seal is beginning to fail, particularly in older window units. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to replace the unit yet, you will have to take additional steps to seal the units properly.
Sealing Your Windows
Once you’ve located the source of the leak, the next step is ensuring that the window units are properly sealed! Depending on the severity of the leak, you may simply be able to make a spot repair to the individual location in which the leak has occured, or it may require you to seal the window units more throughly. If the leak is localized, simply use a bit of caulking, or another similar sealant to close up the seal. However, if the unit’s seal is beginning to fail, you may need to go a step further!
If you need to seal the entirity of the window unit, you may want to consider using heat-sealed window film, which won’t alter the look of your windows. You’ll simply need to use a blow-dryer or something similar to seal the film onto your window, which will help limit the amount of heat loss through the unit. Obviously that will mean the unit will be inoperable until the film has been removed, but it will make the unit much more energy efficient!
Contact Us Today
If you’re ready to replace your window’s this winter, our team at Erdmann Exteriors is ready to assist with your installation needs! You can contact our team today by calling us at (847) 916-0308 or by filling out our team’s online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your window installation needs!
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