Weatherstripping for single hung windows

First, take time to assess the working condition of your windows. Before examining the window itself, look for drafts with the time-honored smoke test—that is, on a windy day, pass a smoke source a cigarette, incense stick, or candle around the frame and see if you can pinpoint any conspicuous air leaks. Next, operate your lower sashes. Do they neatly glide up and down, or do they stick or wobble from side-to-side? Ideally, the sashes should travel easily but snugly in their channels.

If not, investigate why. The biggest impediment to fluid movement is usually sloppy accumulations of paint at the sash stops, sash stiles and rails, and sash channels.

Ideally, the sash stop moldings just inside the window should be constructed with screws or slotted hardware that permits adjusting for a snug sash in winter. To clean off this paint, remove the stops and sash and place them on sawhorses or a stable work table. On the faces of the stops that contact the sash, remove thick paint with a paint scraper or sander, clamping the stops to your work platform to keep them steady. Next, remove heavy or bumpy accumulations of paint on the sash rails and stiles with a sander or, if exceptionally heavy, a heat tool.

Also check the edge of the stool that drops to the sill. Before reinstalling the sash, scrape off any paint accumulation along the parting stops also called beads and sand them smooth. I find that rubbing a little floor wax along these working surfaces also helps the sash move smoothly. Illustration: Rob Leanna. Sash stops—the two vertical moldings just inside the window—serve two functions: They hold the sash in place, but they also adjust to secure the sash against wind infiltration.

When sash stops are attached with nails, they cannot be adjusted, so their initial placement must be a careful balance—not too tight and not too loose. Normally, the sash side of the stop is flush with the stool edge; this way the stop guides the sash smoothly to the sill. Properly adjusting the bottom range of the stops, however, is most important for smooth operation and thermal efficiency. In a basic installation, bronze V weatherstrip is nailed across the bottom and up the channels where the lower sash rides.

The flexible flange of the strip faces the exterior and is cut at an angle where it meets the sill. Note there are no nails over the weight pocket door.

The most versatile method for adjusting stops uses screws and washers or stop adjuster hardware made for this purpose. Stop adjusters are brass or chrome washers that fit holes bored in your stops, usually five in the average-height window or three in a short kitchen or bath window. The adjuster hole that accepts the screw is actually a slot that allows the stop to be moved in and out. Bore oversized holes larger than the diameter of your screws in the stops that the washer will cover.

Then screw the stops on and adjust them as desired. For symmetry, position every screw at the same height as its mate on the opposing stop in every window throughout the room. Do not caulk the sash stops to the frame; it renders the adjusters useless. A final recommendation for tightening up loose windows without major surgery is to install cam locks Ives Side Window Locks are one brand. Sometimes called banjo fasteners, these are small, lever-actuated brakes that, when mounted on each stop, push the sash into the parting bead as tightly as possible.

When upgrading historic windows in cold climates, combining weatherstrips with the above mentioned tune-ups creates the most energy efficient installation. Although there are many methods and materials used to weatherstrip windows, I generally choose durable metal weatherstrips. When pliable weather strips are called for, I use only EPDM rubber because it lasts longer than inexpensive vinyl alternatives and is not vulnerable to temperature changes.

Bronze V -Type Weatherstrip. To install the sash channel strips, take a pair of tin snips and cut two pieces slightly longer than the distance from the sill to the top of the meeting rails. Note that the apex of the V should face the interior of the house. Next, cut the sill end at a slight angle that conforms to the to degree slope of the sill, cutting from the strip apex down.

On the opposite end, cut the strips even with or slightly below the top of the meeting rail. Round off the sharp edges at the top of the weatherstrips to prevent them from snagging on the sash. Then taper the angle back on the loose side of the sill end.

Cut the side strips from the fold outward to match the sill angle. To attach the strips, you need only a few brads. These usually come with the weatherstrip, and should be brass or copper or at least brass- or copper-plated to prevent galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals. Place one strip against the parting bead and, holding a brad with needlenose pliers, secure it at the bottom near the sill using a brad or tack hammer.

Follow these directions for the upper sash, as well. If necessary, you can pry a strip slightly upward using a putty knife to ensure that the sash compresses it. Cut two more strips to the same length. Affix the third strip to the base of the upper sash. If necessary, you can pry the strips up slightly. Simply clean and dry the area, and stick these in place. To seal casement windows, you will need to apply weatherstripping around the window jamb, right beside the stops.

Use vinyl V-strip or adhesive foam closed-cell is best on vinyl or metal windows. First, clean the stops thoroughly. Cut the strips or foam to length so that they can run along the sides, top, and bottom of the stops, and then press the weatherstripping into place.

For wood windows, use spring metal strips. Nail the weatherstripping to the outer perimeter of the frame for casements that open outward and to the inner edge of the frame for windows that open inward. Weather stripping a door involves additional specialty pieces.

For a complete discussion, please see How to Weatherstrip a Door. Check out the instructions for weather stripping a double-hung window when sealing a sliding window—a slider is similar to a double-hung window turned on its side. For sliding windows where both sashes slide, attach tubular gaskets to the tops and bottoms and spring bronze strips in both side channels. For windows that have a single moving sash, nail tubular gaskets along the sides, top, and bottom, and attach a spring bronze strip to the side channel that receives the slider.

Don Vandervort writes or edits every article at HomeTips. HomeTips articles may contain links to Amazon. In This Article:. Get in a comfortable position and rest the tip against the joint. Squeeze the trigger until caulk emerges, then continue to squeeze as you move the tip along the joint. Related: How to Use a Caulk Gun.

If the bead looks good, leave it alone. Otherwise, use your finger to smooth it; this tends to smear the caulk, but it does ensure the caulk adheres to your surface on both sides of the bead. To install rope caulk, unroll and press the rope caulk in where the sash meets the stops, between the top of the lower sash and the bottom of the upper sash, and in the pulley. The window cannot be opened while rope caulk is in place, so remove it in the spring. Test to be sure you will be able to close the window before you apply thick foam weather-stripping to the underside or top of a sash.

To apply self-stick foam weatherstripping, first make sure the surface is clean and dry. Cut the foam with scissors or tin snips.

Peel off the backing and press the foam into place. Self-adhesive foam works well for casement windows and sliding windows, and can also be used to insulate the sides of windows. The foam comes in various thicknesses; test to be sure the window will close after you apply it. While modern weatherstripping techniques like foam and adhesive are popular today, spring bronze weatherstripping offers a long-term solution.

This technique involves a bit more work nails are required but provides a solid window seal to prevent air from escaping your home. To install, first cut spring bronze with tin snips to fit your window precisely.

Taking care not to bend the metal as you work, hold the piece in place and drive in small nails. Drive two or three nails, test to be sure the window will close, then drive the rest of the nails until they're flush with the surface. If needed, use a putty knife to gently bend the bronze once it's in place to close any gaps in your window.

To install spring bronze along the sides of a lower sash, raise the sash all the way up. Cut the bronze to the height of the sash. Slip it up the sash as far as needed, nail in place, then close the sash to test. To install tubular vinyl weatherstripping, start by cutting the strips to size with scissors. Close the window and press the vinyl firmly into place while you drive small nails or staples.

This plastic for windows blocks drafts during cold months to help keep your home energy-efficient. First, use scissors to cut the window plastic to size. Apply the included double-sided tape all around the window casing, then carefully apply the plastic to the tape. Use a blow dryer to shrink the plastic and make it taut. Many of the techniques used to seal the top and bottom of windows can also be used to stop drafts on the sides of windows, including self-adhesive foam and spring bronze.

Here are additional weatherizing techniques for the sides of windows. If you notice that the glazing putty on your window is cracked, missing in spots, or curling from the glass, you'll need to repair it.