Prepare Your Windows For Winter Weather
Residents of California don’t really need to worry about frigid weather or snow impacting their windows and creeping into their homes, but being energy-efficient is a concept which is universal to all American homeowners. When you’re thinking about preparing your windows for the traditional winter months, you should be thinking in terms of maximum energy efficiency for your residential windows. Here are some things to keep in mind for the season where temperature dips typically occur.
Keep doors and windows sealed
First of all, you should make sure that your windows and doors are sealed against the possibility of air leaks, because that means outside air can also creep in to degrade your interior air quality. Even small cracks can allow pollutants in the exterior air to penetrate the interior of your home, and negatively impact your indoor air quality. To be sure you’re weathertight, you may want to caulk around your windows and doors, so as to ensure that inside air remains inside, and outside air does likewise.
Checking for leaks
Before you get around to caulking, you should make a point of checking for actual leaks around your doors and windows. This will point up those areas which should definitely be caulked and sealed against outside air penetration. The process of checking for leaks will involve a close visual inspection of the area around doors and windows, looking for any signs of discoloration or of water damage which has previously occurred. Of course, if you happen to spot any cracks or openings during this visual inspection, those areas should also be at the top of your list for caulking and sealing.
Insulation
One of the first places you should check for any signs of compromised insulation is around the main entrance to your home, because it will get the most usage throughout the year. If your door is properly insulated and shows no signs of either water damage or cracking, you should be in good shape for having a weathertight entrance to your home. Remember that this main entrance is the single most important area to check because of its high volume of regular usage. Any insulation you might have installed around the windows of your residence should also be checked for leaks or for damage which has been done.
Replacement doors and windows
If you’ve had your doors and windows in place for a long time, and they are single-pane windows, you may want to consider upgrading your windows so as to have newer double-pane or triple-pane windows installed. These will not only seal in your good indoor air quality, but you can also expect that you might have lower utility bills, simply because you’ll be sure that your conditioned air doesn’t escape to the exterior, and you won’t have to condition outside air once it penetrates into your home. It may cost you a little bit to have these high-quality energy efficient windows installed, but in the long run, you may actually save money by having a more weathertight residence.
