Winter brings more than enough challenges to our lives. So, here is how you can reduce your carbon foot print with sash window draught proofing this winter. Draughty windows can be fairly quick to fix. It can save quite a lot of money and the planet gains as well.
There are some issues you need to deal with up front. The primary one is whether you want to deal with draught proofing yourself or have someone else do it for you. Lets assume at the moment that you will hire out the work. Here is what you should be concerned about when choosing a person for hire.
Will this workman want to cut or route out the sash channel? It is probably not the best alternative. It will weaken the window considerably. Is the plan to stick a piece of felt in the channel and call it a done deal? This is not particularly effective. It will help, but only a bit.
The felt brush that he was going to put in will help seal the window somewhat but it is not enough. It is perhaps better than nothing if the window is not damaged during the installation. But there are better ways to do this job.
Before doing any sealing the entire window should be inspected. This requires that the beading both staff and parting, be removed. It will be replaced with new and properly primed material. At this point any gaps that are seen in the crosspieces can be bridged.
A good workman will look at the window as a complete structure. There may be draughts coming in from other points besides the channels. The channel itself may have some debris that makes the seal incomplete. Any roughness that interferes with the channel will impact the seal. A good cleaning and then sealing should do the trick.
The parting bead that replaces what has been removed should be primed. Raw wood is unacceptable. Now a sealing strip can be placed in the groove. Good placement will make for a smooth surface that allows the window to move easily but give a good seal.
Now he can replace the windows and check to see that the ropes and weights are properly adjusted. If any ropes are frayed, replace them at this time. With the weights properly adjusted, the window should move freely and the seal be tight.
Finally check for any visible gaps both inside the house and out. The staff beading can be replaced and backfilled at this time. There you have it. This is how you can reduce your carbon footprint with sash window draught proofing this winter.
