I AM A SHAMELESS CAULKHOUND

[rmd]

so, some of my windows are drafty. now that it's finally getting really cold, i finally got pissed off about it enough to dig out a tube of caulk and go to town on the inside of the window frames. standing near the window, i can feel that it's made a noticable difference already -- noticably less breeze with the gaps better-sealed. i also noticed that some of the preexisting caulk on frame pieces of the windows was chipped and gapped in a few places, so i took some silicone goop and smeared them airtight again.

since i can't seem to find the big sheet of shrinkwrap plastic i have kicking around from previous bouts of window-shrinkwrapping, i figure i'll go to tags tomorrow and buy more. it's not like i won't want more next winter anyways. and then tomorrow (once the caulk has had a chance to set up) i'll shrinkwrap the newly caulked window gaps and it should be even better.

Comments

[keren-s.livejournal.com]

I used to love caulking my rental place in Albany. Love using the caulk gun. Didn't want to just stop at the windows. Like where the bathroom tub meets the wall. Around the door frame. Hmm....what else needs caulking around here...? (cue to cats hiding in bedroom).

Now we own and instead I try to pretend I don't feel the drafts coming through where multiple applications of caulk on the inside, and paying carpenters to work on the outside, don't seem to make a difference. Its not fun when it doesn't work.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

yeah. drafts are a pain. as near as i can tell, most of the walls in my house are not actually insulated. i occasionally wonder how long the ROI would be on re-siding to get insulation and tyvek wrapped around the house.

i was just over at tags and found something ... intruiging. it's removable caulk. so you can slather the hell out of the seams around and within a window in the winter and then in the summer pull it off and open the window.

i picked some up to try on windows i don't open very often and for things like my office window which i'll open on any day that even threatens to be warm if i'm around the house to get fresh air and a breeze inside (since presumably i can caulk, for instance, the upper seams, and not lose the ability to move the bottom window)

[cz_unit]

Quickie; how good is the insulation in the attic? I found that a lot of the cold air coming in from the "walls" was actually coming down thru the wall from the attic. The new batts I put up last year made the difference.

Which makes sense since the air up in the attic is heavy and wants to "fall". Going down the sides into your walls is a great way for it to find it's lowest level.

CZ

[rmd.livejournal.com]

not sure. once i finish clearing the spare bedroom, i'm planning on cutting a hole in the ceiling (since the ceiling needs work anyways) and throwing a crapload of the big pink stuff up there.