Weather stripping?

[calumniate]

Ok well I moved into the main floor of this ex-mansion. Sweet two bedroom unit, high ceilings.. not the most modern place as it's just the original layout of the house.

However there is some serious heat leakage. One is from a door and the others are from double pane windows that are just ridiculously old. Any advice in terms of weather stripping etc? The place is forced air heating and it's free, however I'd be willing to look into sealing a few of these trouble spots for sure. Yeah, winter suckes. Thanks!

[FlamingHomer]

Originally Posted by calumniate

Ok well I moved into the main floor of this ex-mansion. Sweet two bedroom unit, high ceilings.. not the most modern place as it's just the original layout of the house.

However there is some serious heat leakage. One is from a door and the others are from double pane windows that are just ridiculously old. Any advice in terms of weather stripping etc? The place is forced air heating and it's free, however I'd be willing to look into sealing a few of these trouble spots for sure. Yeah, winter suckes. Thanks!

There's a good chance that the heat loss is around the windows/doors and not through it. Carefully take off the trim around both from the inside. Back in the day they shimmed the windows and doors but didn't insulate around them.

Buy some expanding insulating foam and carefully spray it into the gaps. Remember that it EXPANDS so you don't need a lot. Make sure you buy the type for windows and doors because the other type will expand with force and put unnecessary pressure on the sides.

It's best to do everything at once because the can is useless if you go back and try to use it later.

Once it's set, trim off any excess with a knife and replace the trim. You should be able to hammer back the original nails but if not, you may have to re-nail. Some people use double-sided tape if there is nothing to nail to.

That should help a fair amount for the $$ invested.

[killer_carlson]

my problem (among many) of my almost 100 year old house (long story) is that there is weatherstripping at the front door, but the door won't close tight enough to form a seal. Unless you are leaning against the door, you can see the outside and a huge draft comes through. I'm trying to think of a solution, but the best I can come up with is to put weather stripping on top of the weather stripping....

[4X4]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

my problem (among many) of my almost 100 year old house (long story) is that there is weatherstripping at the front door, but the door won't close tight enough to form a seal. Unless you are leaning against the door, you can see the outside and a huge draft comes through. I'm trying to think of a solution, but the best I can come up with is to put weather stripping on top of the weather stripping....

A new door handle set might be the answer for you. Assuming that your door handle and associated hardware is also old. If it's newer, you might be able to adjust the hole on the strike plate. If it's older, a new handle and deadbolt set is like $40 at Rona. Sometimes it's a bit tricky to make new hardware work on old doors, so it's best to do on a day like Tuesday, when it's going to be 9 degrees.
Basically, newer hardware lets you adjust the final resting position of the closed door, by allowing you to adjust the hole size of the strike plate, by loosening two screws, moving the center insert slightly one way or the other, then tightening.

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by FlamingHomer

There's a good chance that the heat loss is around the windows/doors and not through it. Carefully take off the trim around both from the inside. Back in the day they shimmed the windows and doors but didn't insulate around them.

Buy some expanding insulating foam and carefully spray it into the gaps. Remember that it EXPANDS so you don't need a lot. Make sure you buy the type for windows and doors because the other type will expand with force and put unnecessary pressure on the sides.

It's best to do everything at once because the can is useless if you go back and try to use it later.

Once it's set, trim off any excess with a knife and replace the trim. You should be able to hammer back the original nails but if not, you may have to re-nail. Some people use double-sided tape if there is nothing to nail to.

That should help a fair amount for the $$ invested.

Thanks I'd never thought of using foam. I should post pictures of the windows.. the place is 100 years old, and the windows swing closed and lock on the tops and bottoms. So there's no trim at all, just a wood on wood 'seal'.

[FlamingHomer]

Originally Posted by calumniate

Thanks I'd never thought of using foam. I should post pictures of the windows.. the place is 100 years old, and the windows swing closed and lock on the tops and bottoms. So there's no trim at all, just a wood on wood 'seal'.

Ah, so likely some of the air is getting through your "seal." If you can find a flat, not too dense (otherwise the window may not close at all) weatherstripping maybe you can adhere it to one side of where the window hits the other frame. They are usually sticky on one side but it's a good idea to staple it as well. Best do it on the frame not the window. Just for appearance sake.

[FlamingHomer]

Originally Posted by calumniate

Thanks I'd never thought of using foam. I should post pictures of the windows.. the place is 100 years old, and the windows swing closed and lock on the tops and bottoms. So there's no trim at all, just a wood on wood 'seal'.

As for the door, if it's the same construction, you can get a type of weatherstripping that is a solid metal strip that has a rubber bead attached. There are pre-drilled holes so you just need to slam your door (sometimes it can end up being tighter slammed than just closed. You want it at it's maximum)
Then by pressing the rubber with a light force into the door mark one of the holes closest to where you are pushing, drill then screw. Use this stripping on the top and two sides. There's a similar product for the base but it's wider. It should be labeled accordingly on the packaging.