It’s still summer now, but Labor Day is next week so autumn is just around the corner! Is your home ready for the colder temperatures and weather that fall brings? If not, it’s time to get your home ready with these easy home improvement projects. By weatherstripping, insulating and sealing, you can help ensure that your home will be ready to face that chill in the air that comes with the changing of the seasons. You may even save some money on your utility bills this winter.
Windows and patio doors can get dirty over the course of a summer. Clean your window glass inside and out with homemade or commercial glass cleaner.
First, use a microfiber cloth to clear away dirt. Next, spray down the glass with the glass cleaner of your choice, then use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe the glass clear.
While cleaning your windows, pay attention to areas that may appear to be degrading. You may uncover issues that can be remedied by the next tips.
Air leaks in your home mean higher energy bills all year round. Any penetration through the building envelope of your home is susceptible, but your windows are probably the largest and most plentiful openings in your home.
Windows can develop air leaks over time as the caulking that prevents drafts, water and air leaks begins to deteriorate. These air leaks are an issue year-round, but can become more noticeably as the air outside gets colder. You can remedy this by sealing the cracks around all your window openings.
First, inspect the seams and crevices around windows. Look for cracked, separated, missing caulking or caulking with gaps. Remove any old caulking that appears to be deteriorating, then replace the caulking with new. This helps seal air leaks and can prevent your windows from being drafty year-round.
Weatherstripping seals gaps between window sashes and the window frames around them. The moderate weather (not too hot and not too cold) weeks at the end of the summer or beginning of the fall present an excellent time to install new weatherstripping around your windows. When choosing weatherstripping, be careful to ensure that the weatherstripping you select will fully fill the space around your windows without inhibiting their ability to open and close.
Now that your windows are fully sealed and weather stripped, this is the perfect time to give your home’s heating and air condition systems a tune up. Your home’s windows contribute to the energy efficiency in your home. While you’re making your windows are more energy efficient is an excellent time to tune up your heating and air conditioning systems, because your HVAC systems will run more efficiently once your home is more energy efficient.
During the course of sealing and weatherstripping your home’s windows, you may realize that window replacement is a better use of your time, energy and money. If this is the case, contact Renewal by Andersen of New Jersey and New York Metro for an initial consultation about replacing the windows in your home.
Renewal by Andersen of New Jersey and New York Metro sells high-quality replacement windows that are installed by qualified professionals. Renewal by Andersen windows are protected by the best warranty in the business with window frames made from durable Fibrex composite material, which lasts for decades and requires almost no maintenance. Call today to set up a consultation for your window replacement: (866) 609-5033 or fill in the short form on this page.
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