Here in New England, the weather has turned decidedly colder. Before you turn on the heat, close your storm windows. And if you get really crazy and ambitious clean the storm windows before you close them.
The majority of storm windows have two glass panels and one screen panel. The proper way to close them is to have the outermost panel at the top, the middle glass panel at the bottom. The screen, your choice where you leave it for the winter. Or, if your screen is torn, ripped, loose, hard to see through, take it to your local hardware store and have them put in new screening so you'll be ready for those bugs next Spring.
If you get ambitious and decide to clean your storm windows, remove the screen panel first, then the glass ones. Depending on the manufacturer, the panels have tabs that fit into slots and there is always a way to slide them up or down, angle them to get the panel out of the frame. With the panels out, clean the gunk in the channels and at the bottom. Spray some WD 40 in the channels. Check to make sure there are weep holes for the water to run out at the bottom of the storm window. If the gap between the bottom of the storm window and the sill is big, fill it in with caulk, but again leave weep holes.
Closing your storm windows correctly will save you lots in heating costs and make your winter more comfortable. Oh, and lock your windows! The lock is not just for safety. It pulls the two sash together and closed and forms part of the weather sealing system.
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Storm windows are important in terms of improving the thermal efficiency of windows, and that is important to consider come summer and winter. Having those provides an extra layer of protection to your main doors and windows, too!
ReplyDelete[Anthony Blommel ]
Hello, Window Woman! Thank you for your very informative post! A storm window can become difficult to open over time. I’ve read of some simple and easy steps that you can take to maintain the windows and keep them opening smoothly. For instance, cleaning window channels with a stiff brush to remove dirt, lubricating window locks with penetrating lubricant spray, and cleaning the window frames with a mild liquid detergent. Keep us posted! Take care!
ReplyDeleteKermit Lukacs