Monday, March 02, 2009

Winter Weather / Drafty Windows!



I'm upstairs now where the computer is and the room is quite cold because the winds are making the room drafty!

I live in Philadelphia and we have had a major snowstorm in the last 24 hours. What makes it even worse is that there are gusty winds outside and the windchill is going to go down to zero!

The window in this room is quite old - in fact I think it is the original window and to make it worse there is a crack in the window and I think that is where most of the cool air is coming from. Also too, the top of the window sill is slightly lowered and everytime I try to raise it up, it goes back down again!

I really do hate change and there are a couple of things that I could do to make this situation a little bit better. Number 1 - I have heard that using heavier curtains would help. Right now I still have the "summer" curtains which are made of very light material.

I tried sealing up the window crack with some duct tape - it doesn't look too pleasing but it does seal out some of the air.

If I got the window fixed that would help a lot but oh I don't want anyone to see the room because it is basically my computer room where I have all of my stuff and that stuff is a LOT of stuff - LOL! - but I'm thinking I'm going to have to get this window repaired at least by NEXT winter!

It wouldn't be so bad if the temperature outside was warmer but like I said the wind chills are expected to be zero!

In the meantime, I'm at work at the computer and its cold!

Actually mu ultimate would be to have a fireplace in this room and that is definitely on my wishlist. Not so much to save on the heating bills, I just like the look and feel of fireplaces and I would love to have one in EVERY room!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like your window needs replacing. Be careful about simply buying one of those "replacement windows" that fits into the frame of your existing window in an old house. Your house has probably settled and is out of square, and the old frame is probably very poorly insulated.

It will cost more to remove the entire window and buy a custom window that fits your probably non-standard window opening, but the heat savings will be worth the extra money. Make sure you stuff insulation in every available crevice when you put in the new window and use lots of caulk to seal the frame tightly to the house (otherwise it will leak around the window trim).

Buy double-paned glass with one of those insulating gasses if you live south of the Mason-Dixon line or the window faces due south. If you live north of the Mason-Dixon line and the window faces east, north or west, spend the extra money and buy triple-paned glass. I like Harvey windows best, but Consumer Reports recently rated the American Fare window line carried by Home Depot a "best buy."

Don't put in a fireplace. Fireplaces were created to cook indoors in the summer. If you want an alternative heat source to keep your fingers from freezing to your keyboard, invest in a small wood or pellet stove. Many have glass inserts so you can still enjoy the pretty fire. There was a great article in Mother Earth News about how to efficiently run a wood stove in December. Just be aware that most pellet stoves won't work when the power goes out.

MartinM377 said...

Thank you for your comment.

I'm quite that when I have the window replaced I'm going to have to replace the whole frame as well because this is an older house and I'm sure that this window is the original one!

Can't say that I 100% agree with you on the fireplace issue! I just LOVE fireplaces and while I see no conceivable place that I can place it here in what I call the computer room there are alternatives - like you mentioned - that I could still use instead. I think I'm still leaning toward the wood-type.