14 - Friday, February 6, 1987 - North Shore News

Caulk fixed windows

SEE
US AT THE
HOME SHOW

to seal out the cold

From page 11
and compact with age, and the
natural warping or bending of
windows and doors units can fur-
ther reduce the effectiveness of the
seal.

To determine whether existing
material is doing its job, open the
door or window in question and
close it on a piece of paper. If the
weatherstripping does not provide
resistance when you try to pull the
Paper out, it probably isn’t pro-
viding resistance to air.

Consider replacing or adjusting
such ineffective materials.

The weatherstripping you use
will depend on the type of door or
window on which it will be install-
ed and the size of the gap to be
sealed. You must also consider
whether you want the material to
contact the face or edge of the
unit.

Most weatherstripping is sold
with its own fastening system
(screw-on and self-adhesive are the
most common) and the design or
location of some doors and win-
dows may make a particular type
of fastening system more ap-
propriate.

Don’t base your decision solely
on cost; less expensive materials
are often less durable.-

Weatherstripping falls into three

” basic categories. ~

© Pressure seal weatherstripping
relies on the force of the door,
window or attic hatch to effect a
seal; it is used for all hinged doors

and windows and both hinged and .-

unhinged attic hatches..

© Sliding seal weatherstripping is
always in contact with any closed
part of the sliding door or window
on which it is installed.

¢ Sweep-style seals are fastened
to the bottom of doors; they are
designed to allow the doors to
open brt to seal tightly when clos-
ed.

Weatherstripping seals best on
smooth surfaces, so uneven or
damaged -surfaces should. be
smoothed .or: repaired before in-
stallation: All surfaces should be
free of dust, oil and remnants of
old weatherstripping. Doors and
windows that are out of alignment
may have to be adjusted before
weatherstripping can work effec-
tively.

Sliding windows (vertical or hor-
izontal) can be sealed with
weatherstripping applied between
the framé and sash at the side, top
and bottom, and where one sash
meets another. Weatherstripping
should also be sized properly —
sometimes it helps to use a sample
of the old weatherstripping to find
a replacement.

When sealing hinged windows, ,

apply weatherstripping to all edges
of the frame in which the moving
section fits. Since fixed windows
do not move, caulking should be
used to seal all edges. Caulking is

also preferable for sealing windows

that are never opened. .

When weatherstripping a door,
you should first consider its char-
acteristics. For instance, because
wooden doors tend to warp, a
pressure-seal weatherstripping that
‘contacts the edge of the unit is
usually best. .
~\The perimeter of all sides of the
ddor — including the hinged side
— should be weatherstripped. In
some cases, weatherstripping on
-both the edge and face of the door
will be necessary to attain an effec-
tive seal.

A great deal of air leakage ec-
curs at the bottom of a door and
this area warrants special atten-
tion. Weatherstripping can be at-

tached either to the door itseif or
to the threshold.

The type you use will depend on
the amount of clearance available.
In any event, ensure that the mate-
rial is durable enough to handle
lots of traffic.

Auic hatches are relatively easy
to weatherstrip. Compressible
tubes and strip weatherstripping
should be applied all along the

sides of the frame where the hatch
rests. Depending on the weight of
the hatch, fasteners may be re-
quired to ensure a tight seal.

Finally, you should check
weatherstripping periodically to
ensure that it continues to main-
tain a zood seal. This is particular-
ly important for weatherstripping
installed on warp-prone doors and
windows.

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