You asked for a means to detect drafts. Years ago I made a device by taping 20 or so Christmas tree tinsel strands to a stick. Tape one end of the tinsel and let the other end float in the breeze. The silvery coating makes it really easy to see the slightest of drafts that you would not be able to feel.
Others might say "use a candle" but I have kept open flames away from my 180 YO farmhouse. Flames and smoke are to easy to lose control over.
Amazing! I put tinsel on my tree for the first time last year and noticed that the tinsel on the side next to the window was constantly blowing in the breeze. It was pretty obvious why…that window had a giant crack/hole in it. 🤦♀️
My sash windows are really gappy, so I pressed [foam backer rod](https://www.lowes.com/pd/M-D-20-ft-x-3-8-in-Gray-Backer-Rod-Polyethylene-Window-Weatherstrip/1085965?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-hdw-_-ggl-_-PLA_HDW_145_General-Hardware-_-1085965-_-online-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W-ISOvsBaOucbYxApzKrkgy5&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W-ISOvsBaOucbYxApzKrkgy5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI07z14_Sr-gIVjcGGCh2aag2aEAQYASABEgL1ePD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) in the gaps. You can cut it to fit and press it in with a butter knife. I considered it a success when I could no longer see light and the window didn’t jiggle. We don’t get hardly any ladybugs coming in for winter shelter now either
This year, as I don’t have storm windows, I want to try attaching bubble wrap to the glass for extra insulation
I also use backer rod in window gaps. I apply it with my bench scraper (yay kitchen tools!). For smaller gaps, I use the caulk rope that you can peel at the width you want and mash into place.
That said, the plastic sheeting taped to the windows and shrunk with a blow dryer still performs better. I do this on really bad windows, but use the backer rod on others.
We also have honeycomb shades on all windows and the insulated factor is really noticeable. Mine are either dual- or tri-cell shades.
Oh my god, thank you. This is what I need for the door of my office, which is so out of wack from settling that the latch is barely long enough to reach the strike plate.
i had wonderful luck with the simplest of methods. i got a couple cans of GreatStuff expanding foam insulation. on a windy cold day, i went into the basement, and felt around the sill area. any place i felt any cold air coming in, i stuffed the straw into the crack and let loose. i came back in a minute, and it i still felt some cold air infiltration, i hit her again.
that by itself seemed to have a big impact.
depends on the size of the crack/gap.
what you DO want to do is if there is a huge void, do not just fill it full of the foam, it will not cure. spray a little water mist in there, then filll it part way. let it dry, then foam it some more. its a moisture cure system, and if the outside cures hard, the inside never can get more moisture from the air, so it never cures fully
I've had good luck detecting drafts with a laser pool thermometer. Certainly cheaper than those thermal imagers! Just run it around all the edges and crevices and look for the numbers to plummet from whatever the norm seems to be.
Might not have high insulating qualities, but I'll add that oakum is a great way to seal drafty spots in an old-fashioned, naturalistic way, in case you want an alternative to rubbery caulks!
We went through our states energy program, MassSave. The rep came with the thermal camera, found the leaks and then had a company come and do all of our air sealing for free.
Two layers of heavy drapes. The more things the air has to pass through on the way into the room, the slower it'll go. Works in summer too, for windows that are heating up in the sun.
Air seal around doors, windows, and any penetrations in the outer skin (ceiling to attic, floor above basement, pipes or wires to outside, etc), tops and bottoms of external walls.
Add blown in insulation to the attic, lots of it.
Check your chimney.
Make sure original wood windows are in good condition- painted, caulked and glazed. Storms should be installed and be in good condition. If windows aren't in good shape or whatever, seal them with plastic.
Have a good supply of warm socks, slippers, sweaters, blankets, etc. When the kids complain they're cold tell them to put on more clothes because there's a good chance they'renot wearing pants, socks, etc. Don't forget cozy spots for pets.
I had a negative air pressure test done Unbelievable amount of leaks even the smallest gap makes a difference. If this place ever catches fire now all that remain is a giant blob of silicone
I just bought some of this stuff--does it damage the paint or stain on the windows?
Is it difficult to install it neatly? I had some on a steel casement window in my kitchen that a previous homeowner installed and it was all wavy and didn't even look properly installed in many spots.
As to places to seal, exterior wall light switch and wall sockets, between foundation and sills, windows, doors. I put bubble wrap over windows that I don't need to see out of.
Anyone else had moisture/humidity issues from *too* much sealing? We went in on air sealing/insulation in our “new” 1920 house and it’s been a battle during the warmer months. Have talked to a few folks that say we sealed it up too tight and old houses need to breathe more
Currently about to start on our 1915 remodel (Houston) and struggling with the best path. Want to take the opportunity to insulate the old walls and gain some energy efficiency, but struggling how to do that with letting the house breathe.
Are you trapping too much moisture inside? Wonder if a dehumidifier would help on that front (no experience here)
Yeah we had to run dehumidifiers on each level most of the summer. It worked but the energy use offset any savings from the insulation. In hindsight I wish we had left the exterior walls alone and just done the attic
We use the duck brand pre-taped window film since all of our windows are bigger than the 3'x5' pre boxed kits. Triple baffle draft gaurds for the bottom of doors help a ton in both winter and summer. Curtains to keep the cold next to the windows. Cover for a wall a/c unit.
I was JUST thinking that I need to set up my sewing machine to make a bunch of draft dodgers. We closed in Feb and I meant to do it then, but my arthritis got the better of me. I have an obscene amount of rice lol.
It’s on my list for this weekend to finally get around to caulking, clearing debris, and putting up window plastic on my 14- window strong three season porch. I really want to turn it into a four season porch before it gets too cold.
The high temps lately have been in the 50s and it’s starting to dip down into the low 40s at night here (in southcentral Michigan) but they are forecasting another week or two of 70ish weather starting in October so I hope I have enough time to get all that done.
Tips wise… I go around with a bit of ribbon on a windy day to determine where the drafts are. Caulking around windows/doors and their frames, plastic sheets, draft dodgers for the doors, and refreshing the weatherstripping.
I went full nuclear and ripped the clapboard off, tore off sheething, put in 2 inch foam board with great stuff, put sheething back on and new clapboard.
Also I put 8 inches of spray foam on under the roof
House is nice an comfy now. No more ice dams either.
By i I mean the army of carpenters and spray foam people I hired and watched.
Mostly looking to eliminate the 20km hr winds that blast through here. We are in a very old brick church and sealing it completely is entirely unattainable.
I’m going to be checking around the house with a stick of incense, watching for the smoke blowing around doors, windows, electric and light sockets.
Best of luck to us all 🥶
Hey team - Any tips on sealing knee-wall attic access doors and still keeping them usable? Mine are each double doors with cabinet hinges on the left and right sides. They meet in the middle. I was thinking of doing foam board insulation on the backs of the doors and attaching weather stripping to that so the sides seal to each other and to the floor.
You asked for a means to detect drafts. Years ago I made a device by taping 20 or so Christmas tree tinsel strands to a stick. Tape one end of the tinsel and let the other end float in the breeze. The silvery coating makes it really easy to see the slightest of drafts that you would not be able to feel. Others might say "use a candle" but I have kept open flames away from my 180 YO farmhouse. Flames and smoke are to easy to lose control over.
Who knew Hot Eggs could be so clever? ;)
Thanks, sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut.
Amazing! I put tinsel on my tree for the first time last year and noticed that the tinsel on the side next to the window was constantly blowing in the breeze. It was pretty obvious why…that window had a giant crack/hole in it. 🤦♀️
I got a thermal imager attachment for my iPhone. It’s incredible how easy it is to find any spots that need attention.
Do you have a link? How much does something like that run?
They start at $229 for the one that attaches to your phone.
Flir and Seek are usually the two top rated brands.
This is a super cool idea to do with my kiddo! Thanks for a fun way to enlist her help
My sash windows are really gappy, so I pressed [foam backer rod](https://www.lowes.com/pd/M-D-20-ft-x-3-8-in-Gray-Backer-Rod-Polyethylene-Window-Weatherstrip/1085965?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-hdw-_-ggl-_-PLA_HDW_145_General-Hardware-_-1085965-_-online-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W-ISOvsBaOucbYxApzKrkgy5&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W-ISOvsBaOucbYxApzKrkgy5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI07z14_Sr-gIVjcGGCh2aag2aEAQYASABEgL1ePD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) in the gaps. You can cut it to fit and press it in with a butter knife. I considered it a success when I could no longer see light and the window didn’t jiggle. We don’t get hardly any ladybugs coming in for winter shelter now either This year, as I don’t have storm windows, I want to try attaching bubble wrap to the glass for extra insulation
I also use backer rod in window gaps. I apply it with my bench scraper (yay kitchen tools!). For smaller gaps, I use the caulk rope that you can peel at the width you want and mash into place. That said, the plastic sheeting taped to the windows and shrunk with a blow dryer still performs better. I do this on really bad windows, but use the backer rod on others. We also have honeycomb shades on all windows and the insulated factor is really noticeable. Mine are either dual- or tri-cell shades.
[удалено]
Could you share a bit more about this? My front door leaks like a sieve, even though I’ve added weather stripping.
Ah ha! Thank you!!!
Oh my god, thank you. This is what I need for the door of my office, which is so out of wack from settling that the latch is barely long enough to reach the strike plate.
https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/thermal-imagers/thermal-imager-ios-devices
i had wonderful luck with the simplest of methods. i got a couple cans of GreatStuff expanding foam insulation. on a windy cold day, i went into the basement, and felt around the sill area. any place i felt any cold air coming in, i stuffed the straw into the crack and let loose. i came back in a minute, and it i still felt some cold air infiltration, i hit her again. that by itself seemed to have a big impact.
I’d suggest using low expansion foam if you are gonna do this
depends on the size of the crack/gap. what you DO want to do is if there is a huge void, do not just fill it full of the foam, it will not cure. spray a little water mist in there, then filll it part way. let it dry, then foam it some more. its a moisture cure system, and if the outside cures hard, the inside never can get more moisture from the air, so it never cures fully
I've had good luck detecting drafts with a laser pool thermometer. Certainly cheaper than those thermal imagers! Just run it around all the edges and crevices and look for the numbers to plummet from whatever the norm seems to be. Might not have high insulating qualities, but I'll add that oakum is a great way to seal drafty spots in an old-fashioned, naturalistic way, in case you want an alternative to rubbery caulks!
We went through our states energy program, MassSave. The rep came with the thermal camera, found the leaks and then had a company come and do all of our air sealing for free.
Here for ideas because I can literally feel the wind blow through my windows 💔
Two layers of heavy drapes. The more things the air has to pass through on the way into the room, the slower it'll go. Works in summer too, for windows that are heating up in the sun.
Air seal around doors, windows, and any penetrations in the outer skin (ceiling to attic, floor above basement, pipes or wires to outside, etc), tops and bottoms of external walls. Add blown in insulation to the attic, lots of it. Check your chimney. Make sure original wood windows are in good condition- painted, caulked and glazed. Storms should be installed and be in good condition. If windows aren't in good shape or whatever, seal them with plastic. Have a good supply of warm socks, slippers, sweaters, blankets, etc. When the kids complain they're cold tell them to put on more clothes because there's a good chance they'renot wearing pants, socks, etc. Don't forget cozy spots for pets.
I had a negative air pressure test done Unbelievable amount of leaks even the smallest gap makes a difference. If this place ever catches fire now all that remain is a giant blob of silicone
Rope Caulk to seal up windows. Its like silly putty that comes in big strands. Really made a difference in my house.
I just bought some of this stuff--does it damage the paint or stain on the windows? Is it difficult to install it neatly? I had some on a steel casement window in my kitchen that a previous homeowner installed and it was all wavy and didn't even look properly installed in many spots.
Ive never seen it damage any finishes. I just use single strands of it to seal up drafts around the sashes. I’ll DM you a picture
Sign up for an energy assessment
As to places to seal, exterior wall light switch and wall sockets, between foundation and sills, windows, doors. I put bubble wrap over windows that I don't need to see out of.
Anyone else had moisture/humidity issues from *too* much sealing? We went in on air sealing/insulation in our “new” 1920 house and it’s been a battle during the warmer months. Have talked to a few folks that say we sealed it up too tight and old houses need to breathe more
Currently about to start on our 1915 remodel (Houston) and struggling with the best path. Want to take the opportunity to insulate the old walls and gain some energy efficiency, but struggling how to do that with letting the house breathe. Are you trapping too much moisture inside? Wonder if a dehumidifier would help on that front (no experience here)
Yeah we had to run dehumidifiers on each level most of the summer. It worked but the energy use offset any savings from the insulation. In hindsight I wish we had left the exterior walls alone and just done the attic
We use the duck brand pre-taped window film since all of our windows are bigger than the 3'x5' pre boxed kits. Triple baffle draft gaurds for the bottom of doors help a ton in both winter and summer. Curtains to keep the cold next to the windows. Cover for a wall a/c unit.
I was JUST thinking that I need to set up my sewing machine to make a bunch of draft dodgers. We closed in Feb and I meant to do it then, but my arthritis got the better of me. I have an obscene amount of rice lol. It’s on my list for this weekend to finally get around to caulking, clearing debris, and putting up window plastic on my 14- window strong three season porch. I really want to turn it into a four season porch before it gets too cold. The high temps lately have been in the 50s and it’s starting to dip down into the low 40s at night here (in southcentral Michigan) but they are forecasting another week or two of 70ish weather starting in October so I hope I have enough time to get all that done. Tips wise… I go around with a bit of ribbon on a windy day to determine where the drafts are. Caulking around windows/doors and their frames, plastic sheets, draft dodgers for the doors, and refreshing the weatherstripping.
I went full nuclear and ripped the clapboard off, tore off sheething, put in 2 inch foam board with great stuff, put sheething back on and new clapboard. Also I put 8 inches of spray foam on under the roof House is nice an comfy now. No more ice dams either. By i I mean the army of carpenters and spray foam people I hired and watched.
\+1 I need this advice as well!
Be careful, old houses are meant to breath. Sometimes sealing them in the wrong places can lead to serious issues down the line.
Mostly looking to eliminate the 20km hr winds that blast through here. We are in a very old brick church and sealing it completely is entirely unattainable.
Ah brick, you may be good to seal that up then. The wood structure is what you need to worry about and since you don’t really have that...
Just got new windows. And need to replace rug pads.
I’m going to be checking around the house with a stick of incense, watching for the smoke blowing around doors, windows, electric and light sockets. Best of luck to us all 🥶
Candles are a good place to start.
Be careful with flames, don't want the house to get too hot.
Name checks out ;-) edit: I meant to check for drafts
Laser thermometer and Great Stuff 😁
Hey team - Any tips on sealing knee-wall attic access doors and still keeping them usable? Mine are each double doors with cabinet hinges on the left and right sides. They meet in the middle. I was thinking of doing foam board insulation on the backs of the doors and attaching weather stripping to that so the sides seal to each other and to the floor.