Winter Heating Blues in Historic Homes. USE CAULK
Baby it's cold outside! I'll bet some of you are saying the same thing about the inside too, especially if you live in an older home with old windows. Many people forget to think about the cold weather when they're looking at a vintage home in the Spring and Summer. Yes, everyone thinks about Air conditioning in the warmer monthes, and most are still willing to buy without the convenience of central AC because of window and portable units. Did you consider the cost of cooling and heating a 3500 sq. ft. home with old, 100 year old single pane windows and 50 year old storm windows? Did you check to see if there is any caulk and weatherstripping used around those windows and doors?
What kind of insulation do you have? Is there any insulation at all? Older homes were built without insulation in most cases and the problem is that it can be diffucult to insulate those exterior walls. You can find someone who will cut holes into your clapboard siding and blow in insulation but then you are left with patches that are visible to eye. On a brick home you would need to cut holes from the inside plaster to get to those exterior gaps of air between the brick and interior walls. But the most effective way to stop the cold air infiltration is much simpler. Consider this, if you block the movement of air from the outside to the inside or visa versa then you are stopping the most obvious problem, air movement. The use of caulk around windows and doors inside and out is the most economical and easiest way to reduce your heating and cooling bills.
Yes, caulk a painter's friend and your too. Use of urethanized caulk around every single window on the exterior. This caulk will withstand the changes in the weather from soring heat in the summer monthes and the frigid cold of the winter. They come in many colors to match your existing trim color and you can paint the house color up to the trim for a crisp clean appearance. On the inside of the window use a paintable acrylic caulk. Make sure that you run a bead of caulk around each piece of trim, from where each piece of trim meets the next. Smooth the caulk with your finger and remove the excess. Don't caulk the actual window although you may be tempted, unless you have no intention of opening the window again. Hold a your hand or a match up to the window and check for movement of air. If you find any air moving then you haven't got a complete seal. Find the problem area and caulk some more. Stop the wind at it's source. If you find after you caulk the inside and outside of your windows and doors and find drafts inside your home on a windy day, you may need to consider new windows or storm windows. The cost of replacement windows or storms can be very pricey expecially if you have in excess of 40 windows in a larger home. The benefits can be enormous also. It is easy to find a good quality window that duplicates the existing type of window you have unless your windows are very unusual. Custom made or not, you will not be sorry when you see the difference in your utility bills.
When my husband and I replaced our 2nd floor windows that were not salvagable and replaced the balance of windows with new storms we also used caulk around each of these windows. We replaced 16 window units and 40 storm windows. The difference in our heating bills alone was staggering. Our first winter in that old home was costing us almost $800 per month, and by the time we were done, it was a much more reasonable $250 a month. I kid you not!
Give it a try! If you have any questions or concerns email me. My husband is a professional painter and if I don't know the answer then he will. Your comments are welcome.