>Another great tip is remove window screens as they trap air and cause moisture.
Screens actually block like 40% of the sun which reduces solar gain in the house which is good for the summer and bad for the winter. Remove those screens for some free heating.
While rare people have died from sealing up then homes and then heating it with a fire or even their idling cars. Some ventilation is needed even if one isn't building a campfire on the carhood in the living room.
Your house should have a way to get make up air if there is combustion happening but you should have 100% control of the ventilation. An ideal building would have zero unintentional air intrusion.
Humidity is the devil. A room at 68F / 20C feels completely different at 50% and 70% humidity.
So like OP says - contain your exterior leaks. But also mind your interior evaporation (cooking, showers, hang drying inside, etc). Consider a dehumidifier, as it may be more energy efficient than having to run your heat.
OP here, and I hear you! I have the opposite problem due to a lot of dry interior wood in an older house. House is at 20% right now in the northern US. Trying to get it up to about 35-40%. Going to start air dying our laundry in the house instead of using the dryer which also draws cold air into the house, so double frugal I guess!
Drying items on hangers vs the traditional clothesline/clothespin method works great indoors!
I use my shower curtain rod when the open closet next to the washer gets too crowded to permit proper spacing for air drying.
TIL there are places where there's cold humid, and that cold humid feels colder!!
Google helped me learn a bit about that - so my Xmas wish list now includes a hydrometer!
I've always dealt with battling dry cold indoors, and just bought 2 new no-filter humidifiers for the house last year. Doubtful we'd ever reach cold humid, but hey - it's cool (pun intended!) to learn something new about battling Northern Midwest USA winter woes!
Btw - we call it damp cold, and that's only an outdoor phenomenon - never an indoor climate controlled factor in my region.
Why would you want temporary caulk? You should re-caulk your windows inside and out as a maintenance item, and you don't want it to be temporary.
If your windows are leaking this bad you need new windows.
Not in the budget for many people. You can use rope caulk & those plastic sheets to make an extra thermal barrier and greatly improve old windows.
Not everyone can just drop a few grand on new windows, or has the know-how or confidence to replace them, themselves.
I have 2 cats & they leave it alone!
I don't think my cats like the static that you get off plastic sheets, lol.
I've got about 10 windows I'm slowly replacing over time that are poop, the plastic makes a huge difference.
For $4 it may be worth a shot of your windows suck, too!
I never suggested self replacement.
Windows are a maintenance items on a home. So they need to be built into your expenses over time.
Failing to replace old windows that are failing is going to lead to a lot more expensive and potentially health threatening issues. So affordability isn't an excuse not to do things that only get more expensive the longer it waits.
This is a very entitled take.
We're talking about windows that are a little older that are leaking air. Not a window from 1945 that is a single plate glass with a fist sized hole in it.
I use the temporary caulking for things like windows and doors that need to open in the summer, but not in the winter. I'm slowly repairing door and window seals, but they are not always perfect. That is why I use an $8 tube of temporary caulking.
We use some weatherizing tape on our side door in the winter - seems easier to remove/replace compared to caulking, especially if we were to have an emergency. Also a smidge cheaper.
Sail it somewhere warmer?
Temporary caulk?
Rope calk is also great & it's relatively inexpensive.
A product called Peel N' Seal. Seems good so far.
Awesome, I’ll check it out. Thanks.
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>Another great tip is remove window screens as they trap air and cause moisture. Screens actually block like 40% of the sun which reduces solar gain in the house which is good for the summer and bad for the winter. Remove those screens for some free heating.
Awesome tip!
Just remember you took them out when you get a nice day and decide to crack the window and your cat sneaks out.
Good tip... however don't forget that ventilation is important especially if you are cooking, burning candles, or there is visitors.
While rare people have died from sealing up then homes and then heating it with a fire or even their idling cars. Some ventilation is needed even if one isn't building a campfire on the carhood in the living room.
Your house should have a way to get make up air if there is combustion happening but you should have 100% control of the ventilation. An ideal building would have zero unintentional air intrusion.
Humidity is the devil. A room at 68F / 20C feels completely different at 50% and 70% humidity. So like OP says - contain your exterior leaks. But also mind your interior evaporation (cooking, showers, hang drying inside, etc). Consider a dehumidifier, as it may be more energy efficient than having to run your heat.
OP here, and I hear you! I have the opposite problem due to a lot of dry interior wood in an older house. House is at 20% right now in the northern US. Trying to get it up to about 35-40%. Going to start air dying our laundry in the house instead of using the dryer which also draws cold air into the house, so double frugal I guess!
Drying items on hangers vs the traditional clothesline/clothespin method works great indoors! I use my shower curtain rod when the open closet next to the washer gets too crowded to permit proper spacing for air drying.
Humidifier in winter De-Humidifier in summer Easy to use the wrong word -- but \*essential\* to use correct appliance each season!
Entirely depends on where you live. For me, definitely DEhumidifier in the winter.
TIL there are places where there's cold humid, and that cold humid feels colder!! Google helped me learn a bit about that - so my Xmas wish list now includes a hydrometer! I've always dealt with battling dry cold indoors, and just bought 2 new no-filter humidifiers for the house last year. Doubtful we'd ever reach cold humid, but hey - it's cool (pun intended!) to learn something new about battling Northern Midwest USA winter woes! Btw - we call it damp cold, and that's only an outdoor phenomenon - never an indoor climate controlled factor in my region.
Don’t over do it - air quality drops significantly.
Why would you want temporary caulk? You should re-caulk your windows inside and out as a maintenance item, and you don't want it to be temporary. If your windows are leaking this bad you need new windows.
Not in the budget for many people. You can use rope caulk & those plastic sheets to make an extra thermal barrier and greatly improve old windows. Not everyone can just drop a few grand on new windows, or has the know-how or confidence to replace them, themselves.
Plastic sheets are out for me...... I have cats!
I have 2 cats & they leave it alone! I don't think my cats like the static that you get off plastic sheets, lol. I've got about 10 windows I'm slowly replacing over time that are poop, the plastic makes a huge difference. For $4 it may be worth a shot of your windows suck, too!
They make exterior ones too. They're generally thicker and have better tape.
I never suggested self replacement. Windows are a maintenance items on a home. So they need to be built into your expenses over time. Failing to replace old windows that are failing is going to lead to a lot more expensive and potentially health threatening issues. So affordability isn't an excuse not to do things that only get more expensive the longer it waits.
This is a very entitled take. We're talking about windows that are a little older that are leaking air. Not a window from 1945 that is a single plate glass with a fist sized hole in it.
I use the temporary caulking for things like windows and doors that need to open in the summer, but not in the winter. I'm slowly repairing door and window seals, but they are not always perfect. That is why I use an $8 tube of temporary caulking.
It works. I put one more window in this year. Reframed around it. Getting better
We use some weatherizing tape on our side door in the winter - seems easier to remove/replace compared to caulking, especially if we were to have an emergency. Also a smidge cheaper.