Weather stripping old windows.

[Nettie]

Last year I restored all of our second story doublehungs. The problem was that all the old paint that I stripped off must have been doing a pretty good job of stopping some of the cold air. Yes, they go up and down smoothly now but they also rattle back and forth and get very frosty. What is your favorite kind of weatherstripping and do those brass strips really work that well?

[jade mortimer]

good for you for restoring your windows!

yes, the bronze weather stipping really works...so does brush pile and silicone...

i use a silicone bulb at compression points--top of the top sash, the meeting rail and the bottom of the bottom sash...often the sash are no longer square in the opening leaving uneven gaps...the silicone will compress a lot or just a little depending what is needed...

i use spring bronze or brush pile at sliding points--sides of sash...both fill the spaces between the sash and the jamb...the windows slide better and eliminates drafts...when installing the bronze, you need to remember to not nail into the weight pocket and you must cut around the pulley for the top sash...not a big deal at all...

bronze: http://www.kilianhardware.com/sprinbronwea.html

silicone & brush pile: http://www.conservationtechnology.com/d ... ok0705.pdf

i mostly use (silicone) WS32 for gaps up to 3/16" and the WS 33 for larger gaps (99% of the time WS32 is sufficient)
for brush pile, i suggest WS75 or 76...

for the silicone and brush pile you will need to also purchase the slot cutter which is set up perfectly for this application...comfort with a router is important...i use a small Bosch Colt router which is ideal...installing the barbed weather stripping is simple...

hope that helps...good luck!

...jade

[Nettie]

Thanks Jade!

[1880 Stick Victorian]

thanks Nettie for bringing this up! I have a question for Jade, these bronze strips are line a somewhat compressed "v" isn't that right? Do the strips help keep the window from jiggling in the frame and hold it against the frame? I have some windows that i can stick a pencil between the track and the wood frame. Do these strips cause drag which make the windows a little harder to open? I understand the principal behind the bulb weather stripping and the silicone but how are these bronze strips are used to weatherize the windows i am unclear....

thanks
scott

[jade mortimer]

hi scott...
yes, indeed the 'V' shaped spring bronze is what i typically use...the V opens to about 3/8" of an inch and will compress to about a 1/16"...install with the V toward the living space...the bronze will take up the slack causing some resistence which will allow for improved operation of the sash...the sash should not be difficult to lift though...there are times when the sash is 'wracked' in the opening meaning that at the top of one side of the sash is tight to the jamb and the bottom has a significant amount of open space...the other side is the opposite...the V bronze may end up being too thick where the sash is tight so you may need to install the weather stripping only where it can allow the sash to operate properly...this is the V i am referring to: http://www.kilianhardware.com/vshapsprinbr3.html

for a sash that has very little space between it and the sash, you may consider using this: http://www.kilianhardware.com/13sprinbronn.html

for the bottom sash, cut the bottom of the strip at a bit of an angle to conform to the angle of the sill...the length of the strip should be so that it can't be seen when the sash is in a closed position...make sure you don't nail into the weight pocket...

for the top sash, you will need to make a square cut out in the strip around the pulley...

hope that helps....
.....jade

[1880 Stick Victorian]

Thank you Jade!!
What you have said makes sense. I have some windows that are tight and some that rattle in their frames, so one of each would be good. I am assuming that the bronze need only be applied to the area where the sash meets the frame when the sash is closed or do i need to run it up the entire side tracks?

I see that this comes in rolls, does it unroll pretty smooth or is it normal for kinks and creases?

scott

[jade mortimer]

hi scott...
i typically apply the weather strip so it cannot be seen when the sash are in their closed position...you will need to nail or bend over the 'open' end of the ws where it ends/begins so that it does not catch on the sash...

if you handle the roll/box carefully, you shouldn't have an issue with kinking...good question! i ususally cut the first piece within an inch of the correct size using it rather than a tape measure for measuring the rest...i use a magic marker to mark the spot...you can't continue to just pull out the length you need as the roll becomes tight on itself...you'll figure it out...

since you can buy 3 foot pieces of the 'V' bronze, i would get a few of those and use them in conjunction with the rolled strip...

good luck!
...jade

[Nettie]

I got the V shaped spring bronze in 3 foot strips and have done 5 windows so far although I'm only doing the bottom sash for now as the tops seem snug and swollen with the summer humidity and don't want to slide down. Anyway there was plenty of room for the V shaped and it has been easy to install (using a drill first). It really seems to have tightened them up.

[jade mortimer]

well that's good to hear nettie! glad the ws is working for you....

i used to predrill through the bronze but have now installed so many linneal feet of the stuff i find that's it's not necessary...i hold the nail with my thumb and index finger and gently set it...the nail is 1" long and my fingers are 3/4" thick so i have a 1/4" to get the nail to a point where it no longer needs to be held...in tight spaces, i use needle nose pliers to start the nail...

you could also try something like this: http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/10766

...jade

[eperot]

Crazy thought but...On the one window I've done sofar that required springbronze I used the bronze full length for each sash, because it just made the window open and close so darn smooth! Having that nice sliding surface almost makes me want to do that to all windows. Expense is a concern, though. Still haven't decided what to do in the bedroom I'm doing windows for now.