The Importance of Winter Care for Your Doors & Windows
Did you notice all the snow covering most of Ontario by November?
At The Door Centre, that tells us two things:
- Winter is coming (or maybe it’s already here to stay).
- It’s time to get your doors and windows ready for the cold.
You rarely notice closing, sealing or draft issues with your doors or windows. When the winter comes on so quickly, it becomes plainly obvious where cold air gets into your home.
Before it gets too cold , make sure you follow these important seasonal tips. Our team goes through this process every year at their own homes. You should too!
Track down those drafts and terminate them
Exterior doors and windows should close tightly with minimal effort.
And when the wind blows, they should never shake or rattle. .
When you have a little spare energy this week:
- Clean junk away from sliding door tracks and jambs.
- Install new weather stripping on both sides and the top of your doors.
Try sliding a piece of paper under any of your exterior swinging door sweeps (the little bit of rubber at the bottom of the door). If the paper goes through, pick up a replacement sweep and get it installed pronto. That draft could cost you a few dollars in wasted energy every day.
And if you’re still motivated, take a look at your windows to:
- Clean dirt and debris from the sliding tracks and sills.
- Insert weatherstripping to any drafty areas.
If you have older bay or bow windows (from the 90s or older) glazing putty was probably used to keep the glass in place.
Over time, it can crack and break.
To test for problems with the putty on your older windows:
- Try to jiggle the glass in the frame.
- Feel for cool air around the edges.
- Look for condensation between the window panes.
These are all signs of windows in need of replacing.
Old frames can leak just as badly as old windows and doors
The majority of cold drafts leak into a home through frame joints surrounding:
- Modern doors.
- Windows.
- Skylight fixtures.
This kind of leakage accounts for up to 10% of your overall home heating bill – potentially hundreds of dollars a year just floating out the window.
New home builds aren’t immune to poor sealing. In fact, you’re just as likely to encounter leaky frames in a new build as an old one.
Good thing repairing any frame leaks doesn’t require a contractor:
- Remove any inside trim moulding.
- Spray non-expanding insulating foam completely around the frame, inside and out.
- Put the trim back in place after the foam cures.
Put off upgrading your doors and windows too long? You can still get it done before winter hits
Your front door may be too damaged to stand up to another winter. Or your large sliding back doors might be just a year beyond their prime.
There’s still time to replace the parts of your home that might not stand up to winter very well.
We Can Help With Winter Care For Your Doors and Windows
Call us today to talk about replacing a single door, a few windows, or upgrading your whole house before the real cold sets in.
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