Seal Air Leaks Around Windows and Doors

Seal air leaks around windows and doors to prevent wasting home heating and cooling energy that costs you money.

Check for air leaks
With windows and doors closed, hold a lit stick of incense near window and door frames where drafts might sneak in. Watch for smoke movement. Note what sources need caulk, sealant, and weather-stripping.

Seal air leaks around windows

If you have old windows, caulking and adding new weatherstripping goes a long way toward tightening them up.

Bronze weatherstripping ($12 for 17 feet) lasts for decades but is time-consuming to install.  
Self-stick plastic types are easy to put on but don’t last very long.
Adhesive-backed EPDM rubber ($8 for 10 feet) is a good compromise, rated to last at least 10 years.

Nifty gadgets called pulley seals ($9 a pair) block air from streaming though the holes where cords disappear into the frames.

Seal air leaks around doors
Check for air leaks, and replace old door weatherstripping with new.

Foam-type tape has an adhesive backing; it’s inexpensive and easy to install. If it comes loose, reinforce it with staples.
Felt is either adhesive-backed or comes with flexible metal reinforcement. it must be tacked or glued into place. It’s cheap and easy to install, but it has low durability.
Tubular rubber, vinyl, and silicone weatherstripping is relatively expensive and tricky to install, but it provides an excellent seal. Some types come with a flange designed to fit into pre-cut grooves in the jambs of newer doors; check your existing weatherstripping and replace with a similar style.
Check exterior trim for any gaps between the trim and your door frames, and the trim and your siding. Caulk gaps with an exterior latex caulk ($5 for a 10-ounce tube).

Seal door bottoms
If a draft comes in at the bottom, check the condition of the threshold gasket. Replace worn gaskets. If you can see daylight under the door, you may need to install a new threshold with a taller gasket ($25 for a 36-inch door). Or, install a weather-resistant door sweep designed for exterior doors ($9). Door sweeps attach directly to the door and are easy to install.

Indianapolis Real Estate

Putting on a Pretty Face

Exterior replacement projects continue to be the most costeffective home improvement projects, according to the 2010-11Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report. This year nine out of the 10 projects that return the most
bang for the buck are improvements to a home’s exterior.

A steel entry door took the top spot with an estimated 102.1 percent of cost recouped upon resale. That was the only project in this year’s report expected to return more than the cost. A new addition to the report – the midrange garage door replacement – is expected to recoup 83.9 percent of its cost. Both projects are relatively small investments, costing around $1,200 each, on average. 

The report also found that replacement projects usually outperform remodel and addition projects in resale value due to their inexpensiveness and positive impact on curb appeal.
Indianapolis Real Estate

NAR Sales Spike

The up and down pace of sales that characterized the second half of 2010 appears to be ending on a high note.

The National Association of REALTORS® reports that existing home sales during November rose 5.6 percent over the previous month.

Even though November 2010 sales are still 27.9 percent below November 2009 – the initial deadline for the first-time homebuyer tax credit – NAR chief economist, Lawrence Yun, notes, “Continuing gains in home sales are encouraging, and the positive impact of steady job creation will more than trump some negative impact from a modest rise in mortgage interest rates, which remain historically favorable.”

He adds, “The relationship recently between mortgage interest rates, home prices and family income has been the most favorable on record for buying a home since we started measuring in 1970.Therefore, the market is recovering and we should trend up to a healthy, sustainable level in 2011.”

Indianapolis Real Estate