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"APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS"












This rainy season, don’t just sit there and wish for sunny days... prepare for them and get your windows weather-ready.

Weatherproofing Windows


If you live in a drafty house and want to reduce your heating costs (and help reduce your carbon footprint!), consider insulating with clear plastic window covers. They"re easy to install either outside or inside the windows. For outside seals, simply nail the cover over the window to create dead air insulating space. For indoor, tape down the edges and blow a hair dryer over the plastic to shrink and seal it over the window. This is a one-shot solution - if you loosen the tape, you have to start all over - so only use on windows you do not open.

Warm-Climate Window Tips


In the summertime, the sun shining through your windows heats up the house. Windows with spectrally selective coatings on the glass reflect some of the sunlight, keeping your rooms cooler. 

Here are some more tips for limiting the sun"s heat indoors:

* Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.

* Close curtains on south and west facing windows during the day.

* Install awnings on south and west facing windows.

* Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south facing windows to reduce solar gain.

Tips on Opening a Stuck Window


As minor household annoyances go, few raise the blood pressure as fast as a window that"s been painted shut, especially if it"s a hot summer day. Once your back spasms from trying to muscle it open subside, try this simple solution: Take a sharp blade (such as a utility knife, spackling blade or large X-acto knife) and trace along the edge of the frame to crack the bond. Still stuck? Take a two by-four piece of wood, lay it flat against the frame, and tap it with a hammer to undo the paint seal. You may have to touch up the paint job; if so, open the window a few times while the paint dries.

More Caulk Talk


Most houses have enough air leaks in them that the energy lost is equivalent to leaving a 2-square foot window open all winter long. Obviously, caulking offers a great opportunity to close that "window" and save a lot of money on your heating and air-conditioning bills. A great place to start is on all of your existing windows and doors. All you need is a caulking gun and a few cartridges of high-quality caulk, and you can make your home cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter and more resistant to moisture and bugs all year long.

Foam: Room for Expansion


You may decide that you want to fill the large voids between the window frames and the framing of the stud walls (covered by the window trim boards). This is usually a very good idea. However, be careful to not use highly expanding foams that can actually put so much pressure on the window frames - as the foam expands - that they can be bowed inward, obstructing the free travel of the movable portions of the window.

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