Winterize your home by caulking your windows. It will save you a lot of time when you begin your spruce-up painting during Spring Cleaning and save you money!
If there are air leaks in your windows, then you’ll have to run your heater more to compensate for heat loss. A little bit of caulk can fix these leaks.
Detect Window Air Leaks
Perform these “time proven” tests to see if your windows have any air leaks:
Candle Test
The candle test is performed by holding a lit candle close to your window seams. If there is any air flow through the seams, your candle’s flame will bend.
Baby Powder Test
The baby powder test is performed by puffing a bit of baby powder in the air near your window seams. If there is any air flow through the seams, the baby powder will move.
How to Caulk a Window
Items needed:
- Scraper
- Tube of Caulk
- Caulk Gun
- Flat Craft Stick
1. Use the scraper to remove all old caulk.
2. Load the tube into the caulking gun.
3. Cut off the tip of the tube of caulk and puncture the seal. Usually a 1/3-inch bead of caulk is enough.
4. Apply a bead of caulk along the crack. Make sure your line is even and smooth.
5. Use the flat craft stick to smooth the caulk into the crack.
6. Clean the excess caulk off of the tube before it dries.
McCown Paint & Supply recommends using Sashco’s Paintable BIG STRETCH Caulk.
