The downside to storm windows is that they make your double hung windows much less effective in the summer time.  By raising the lower sashes on the cooler side of the house and lowering the upper sashes on the warm side of the house, the warm air in the house will exit through the open upper sashes and draw cooler air in through the open lower sashes.

You can remove the counterweights for the upper sashes and insulate the concealed spaces in the walls.

First, secure the upper sash in place by driving a screw diagonally up through the bottom of the sash and into the jamb.  You may not need to do this since many old sashes have already been painted in place.

Next, carefully remove the casing around the window.  Run a utility knife around the perimeter between the casing and the wall in order to cut any paint or caulk that might be connecting the casing to the wall.  Insert putty knives in between the casing and the wall and between the casing and the window jamb in order to begin to remove the casing.  Continue this process with a pry bar, being careful not to damage the wall.  This will expose the counterweight pockets next to the window.

After removing the casing, cut the cords for the counterweights for the upper sash and remove the counterweights.  A great way to remove the nails from the casing without causing any damage is to clamp on to the nail on the back side of the casing with a vice grips.  Pry the nail out a little.  Straighten the nail and re-clamp the vice grips tight to the wood.  Repeat this until the nail comes all of the way out of the back.  This process will not mar the finish on the good side of the casing.

There are a couple of ways to insulate the counterweight spaces.

1. Measure the width and height of the pocket.  Cut rigid polyisocyanurate insulation to fit snugly into the pocket.  Polyiso has one of the highest R-values available.  Install two layers of ¾” insulation and push tight to the outside of the pocket.
2. Get some PVC that has an inside diameter at least ½” larger than the diameter of the counter weight.  Cut it to length – 1” less than the distance from the bottom of the pocket to the pulley.  Insert the counterweight into the pipe.  Secure the pipe to the window jamb.  Stuff batt insulation into the remaining space in the pocket.

Replace the casing.  Drill pilot holes for the finish nails to help prevent splitting the wood.  Set the nails and fill the divots with wood putty.  Lightly sand smooth, and finish to match the rest of the trim.

Tools:  Drill, drill bits, screwdriver bit, putty knives, pry-bar, hammer, scissors, vice grips, utility knife, tape measure, finish nails, sandpaper and nail set.

Materials:  2” screws, wood putty, and rigid insulation or batt insulation & PVC pipe.

Dan Bossenbroek

Good preparation is the first step to success with most projects and it is true here too. The first thing that you want to do is to measure your windows so that you know what type of window film packages to buy. If you have typically sized windows, 3’ wide by 5’ tall, you will want to buy packages with individually sized sheets. However, if you have a number of smaller windows or at least one large picture window you will want to buy packages with single large sheets. Large sheets can be cut to size to fit a variety of window sizes big and small so that you can minimize the waste.

Before you install the window film, you may want to weatherize your windows by fixing the glazing putty and by adding weatherstripping, or even adding storm windows if you don’t already have them.

Next, you will want to clean your windows inside and out including the sill and the trim. This will allow as much sunshine to come in and create a clean surface for the window film tape to stick to.

Now it’s time to start installing the window film. The first step is to determine where to install the tape. Installing the tape on the outside face of the window trim results in a more secure installation, but many times window treatments interfere with this. The second best location is on the face of the trim, and the least secure location is on a surface perpendicular to the face of the glass, like the sill. When you install the tape, make sure to overlap the tape at the corners by about an inch. Before you remove the paper off of the double sided tape you should take a smooth, hard surface and run it over the tape to fully secure it to the trim.

If your window has a sill, install the window film to the there first. Wrapping the end of the sheet around a yardstick will help to install the film at the sill evenly.

Before securing the film to the top and the sides of the window, add a strip of clear packing tape to the back side of the film and the sill. This will help to keep the film from pulling away from the sill.

Next secure the film to the center of the top of the window and then work your way up both sides of the window pulling the film tight.

If the window doesn’t have a sill and has “picture frame” trim, then secure the film at the middle of the top and bottom of the window first, then to the middle of the sides. Next, work your way toward the corners bit by bit, first on one side then another, pulling the film tight as you go.

Once the window film is secure, trim the excess film from around the edges.

Finally, use a blow dryer to smooth out the film. For windows that won’t be covered up by shades or curtains for the winter, you will want to make as smooth as possible. Don’t over do it with the blow dryer though, you can pull the tape right off of the trim if you are not careful.

Now that you are done, you can sit back and enjoy a draft free home and some extra money in your pocket every month.

Dan Bossenbroek

Windows:  We have several types of windows in our house.  The original house still has wooden single pane, double hung windows with storm windows.  All of these windows have received need some much needed attention this fall: the cracked and missing glazing putty has been replaced, and the sashes that rattle as they open and close have had weatherstripping added to help seal the gaps and smoothen out their operation.  Next the cracked, peeling and alligatored paint will need to be scraped off and the windows repainted. Finally, when the wind blows the sashes in the storm windows bend a little and let it right in.  The 1970’s addition was built with wooden double hung windows with insulated glass, one of which has cracked glass and the others readily leak air.  Some of the windows in the addition and one in the original house were replaced with vinyl double hung and slider windows with insulated glass.  The vinyl windows are the best in the house, but last year we covered them with insulating window film too and it made a big difference.  The windows in the basement are the worst of all: single pane glass, some cracked and others loose in their frames.

Doors:  There are only two doors into the house.  The front door is a six panel solid wood door with a storm door.  We installed new weatherstripping and a new sweep to the wood door two years ago.  The back door is a steel door with glass on the upper half and a storm door.  Both back door and storm door have new weatherstripping and the glass in the storm door has been sealed with weatherstripping and rope caulk.  We made these improvements at the same time as the ones we made to the front doors. 

Change in Materials:  The joint between the brick of the existing house and the aluminum siding of the addition needs to be re-caulked.  Likewise, the joint between the concrete foundation and concrete driveway may be the source of small water leaks into the basement and should be sealed too.  The joints between the eave trim and the brick is tight and in great shape and so is the joint between the aluminum siding and the block foundation. 

Switches and Outlets:  There are very few switches or outlets on the exterior walls, the outlets and switches in the exterior walls of the original house are surface mounted to the wall and do not need to be sealed.  Those in the addition need to be sealed.

Pipes, Vents, Fixtures and Wires:  There are a number of penetrations through the exterior wall: range hood vent, phone line, electrical, cable TV, condensing unit line set, dryer vent, furnace flue, and three hose bibs.  Most of these penetrations seem to be sealed properly, however there are a few, like the outlet and light fixture by the back door that need some attention.

Attic Ceilings:  Every room on the second floor has a ceiling mounted light fixture with a junction box that penetrates the ceiling.  One bathroom has an exhaust fan that pokes up into the attic too.  The original house has an attic access panel in one of the closets the is in dire need of being sealed and insulated properly.  The access panel in the addition has two inches of rigid insulation secured to it’s back and is weatherstripped adequately on all four sides.  It could also benefit from an attic stair cover some day.

Fireplaces:  The fireplace is decorative, so there is no flue to seal.

After completing this survey it’s apparent that there are a number of weatherizing projects that I need to complete: fixing the glazing putty in the original windows, and adding weatherstripping to the original windows this fall was a good start.  Next on the list are to seal the joint between the foundation and the driveway, seal the joints between the brick and the aluminum siding, install switch and outlet sealers, seal the penetrations through the second floor ceiling, seal and insulate the original attic access panel, add insulation to the newer attic access panel, and seal around some of the penetrations through the building envelope.

Dan Bossenbroek

The tools that you will need are:  putty knife, razor blade scraper, utility knife, caulk gun, a long nail or screw, and glazing putty.  You may also need paint stripper, a heat gun, sand paper, paint brush, primer and paint.

Good preparation is essential for quality results.  Take your time and remove all loose and crumbling glazing putty.  Slip your utility knife into small cracks and pry out the cracked putty.  Scrape the glass clean of dirt, paint, and any left over glazing putty with a razor blade scraper.  Use a shop vac around the entire pane of glass to remove any remaining dust, dirt and loose bits of putty wedged between the glass and the window sash. 

Since the glazing putty in these windows is in bad shape, it’s likely that the paint is too.  Continue by scraping off any loose or peeling paint.  If the paint has severe cracking or alligatoring, you may want to strip the paint off.  Be careful if you use a heat gun not to heat up the glass as it will crack.  Tape a framer’s square or other piece of metal along the sash before you start stripping.

Next, make sure that all glass is secure.  The new type of glazing points available today are much easier to install than the old fashioned kind.  Press the glass back into the sash, place the back of a glazing point up to the glass and push it into the sash with a putty knife.  Add as many glazing points as necessary in order to keep the glass from moving. 

Before you begin to replace the glazing putty, check the product directions and prime any exposed wood as directed.

Load the glazing putty into your caulk gun and puncture the seal with a long screw or nail several times.  Glazing putty comes in tubes with angled tips that will help to deliver a bead that is the correct size and shape.  Apply a steady bead of glazing where it has been removed.  It may be a little messy, but after a little practice it should start to look better.  Keep the tip of the tube clean for a smoother finish.  However, if it doesn’t get any better you can always clean it up a bit after it has set up a little.

After the glazing putty has had time to completely set up you will need to take your putty knife and razor blade scraper and remove any excess that has gotten on to the glass, sash and muntins.

Glazing putty may be left unpainted, but since you probably need to paint your windows anyway, you might as well paint the putty too.  Lightly sand the wood, prime and then paint your windows.  Now your windows will perform great and look even better.

Dan Bossenbroek