Do It Yourself Energy Efficiency Projects: Your Home’s Thermal Envelope (Part 4): Wind, Weather, and Storm: Door and Window Tips

There are a few things you can do around your home to save money during the remaining winter months and the hot summer. Basically, you need to air seal your home's "thermal envelope"; the sum total of the home's insulation systems including walls, ceilings, foundation, floors, windows, and doors. These work more effectively with good, tight fits that seal-out the weather, moisture, and air. 

By having a tight seal, the less energy you waste or lose by exchanging it too often with the air outside.  

You might believe that work I describe below is beyond your ability.  Never fear, these are easy tasks for any average person.  Make sure you have a good set of tools.  Plus, you might want to look at the Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit and save on your taxes, too. 

One word of warning: you will get a little dusty and dirty.  

And now: Door and Window Tips (cont. )

A builder installs a door or window with wedges called shims so that the window can float inside a rough opening in the framing. While this lets the door or window open and close freely as it expands and contracts during the year, it also means a lot of outside air can infiltrate your house by getting in around the window frame if it has not been insulated or if it has been damaged. During the summer, it usually isn't a noticeable problem. During the winter, though, if you see moisture or mildew, there could be a problem with the window frame.  

Look outside for damage to the siding and window frame. Look for holes or wet, rotten wood, or even a loose piece of siding. It's important to clean and seal problems like these quickly, especially if moisture has been getting inside your wall because the damage will just worsen over time. Rotten or damaged siding can be replaced easily with new pieces from the hardware store. Rotten or damaged window sills should be completely removed and replaced and the inside of the wall inspected for mold, rot, and other damage. However, this is no small job and requires time and skills to complete. It might need the hand of a professional. For an immediate, short-term fix, clean out the rotten wood as best you can and fill the hole with fiberglass auto body putty. This will provide a hard, waterproof barrier against the weather. Be sure to contour and shape it so that it will not interfere with opening and closing the window.  

If moisture or rain is getting into your window frame, check to see if any of your rain gutters run over head. Check to see if these are clogged. Also, consider installing drip edging along the top of your windows to help run water around and away from the windows and siding when it rains. Aluminum flashing is great for this job.  After you've installed it, be sure to caulk it in place so moisture can't penetrate behind it.  

A lot of folks consider it hideous to put over your windows but it will keep the wind out: clear plastic sheeting. This is probably the easiest temporary energy fix owners of older homes use to keep cold, damp winter weather out. There are two approaches: Apply the clear plastic sheeting to the outside of the window by stapling it to the wood window frame and then nailing lathe over the stapled edge to secure the plastic. Or apply the plastic sheeting to double-sided tape on the inside of the window frame (usually available in kits from the home center). To be sure, neither is an attractive solution. However, if you have an older home with double-hung windows in poor condition, this short-term fix does a lot for only $10 and about 15 minutes of work. In fact, even if your windows close snugly, it might not be a bad idea for a north-facing window that doesn't have much of a view.

Visit the Bounce Energy Education Center  for more tips on saving energy.