Winterizing Your Windows and Doors October 4, 2014 Autumn just arrived in Toronto and the surrounding area, and soon, we’ll be feeling the icy pinch of winter. For those of you who enjoy the warm weather, you probably have delayed getting your home ready for winter. At some point, though, you’ll need to pat attention to winterizing your windows and doors. Checking all seals. For any windows and most doors that have some type of weather stripping surrounding the frame, you should inspect this to make sure that it’s in good condition. Weather stripping is made of rubber or a polymer blend and the sun, wind, and other conditions can dry it out, making it less effective. Replace any weather stripping that no longer forms a strong bond around the door (and whatever windows may rely on it). This weather stripping is going to help keep out the drafty cold air this winter. Check for new drafts. The sun, rain, and even last winter’s snow and ice could have created problems with the windows and doors in your home. These problems could result in new drafts. On the first cold night of the year, make sure that all of the windows and doors are sealed, turn the heat up a bit in the house, and walk around checking for cold air drafts slipping around the window frames, around the door frames, and even through the panes of glass. Make a note of where these drafts occur and call a professional window and door expert to come out and evaluate the situation. Seal off any windows you won’t open until next spring. You want to be able to open some of the windows in your home before next spring, especially on those days when it gets warm out. For the rest, seal them, replace the storm windows (if they have them), and consider adding a plastic insulator over each window to add one more layer of protection against the cold. If you have old windows, consider replacing them now. Doing this will help you be prepared for winter when it catches most everyone else by surprise this month!
