While I’m insulating my wall, should I cut the cords on my window weights and insulate those strips on the sides of the windows? If not, that is a huge gap in the insulation. What would you do?
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Replies
A while back someone recommended putting pvc pipes in there for the window weights to ride in then pack the insulation around the pipes,
Made sense to me.
the PVC pipe + insulation will work well, though some have argued that a window is pretty much R1, with the most advanced, super Argon stuff reaching about R3 or 4 (the glass portion).
So, another approach could be to just make sure the weight 'bays' are caulked/sealed from any air leakage and leave it at that (the R value of the wood sheething and the interior wall covering is probably about the same as that of the glass).
In the end, much of the "draft" from windows is not air leaking from outside the house because even well sealed windows can still conduct a fair amount of heat. Around each window there will be a convection current of air falling past the cool window surface and cascading down to the floor.
Insulating the weight cavities only increases your wall R area by a few inches on each side of each window (the wall is gonna be, like R10 or 13 with insulation, right?). The net savings can be relatively small, in a house with large windows.
So, most people choose to leave it alone (especially if all the mouldings & some of the walls don't need to come apart for any other reason).
However, insulating them will surely do you no harm. To keep the weights, the PVC pipes work well. Or some people replace them with a coil spring job mounted on the jam (but I like the feel of the weights when you move the window, just personal pref.)
Hope this helps,
Norm
Edited 5/21/2003 12:46:36 PM ET by Norm
Not unless you`re replacing the windows at this time.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Pop the trim and you can stuff insulation or foam in the gaps over the windows and pace styrofoam cut to size in teh weight pocket area. There is usually enough space for 3/4 - 1" and still allow the weights to move freely. As already stated though, caulk and seal to stop the drafts....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
I'm doing all the windows in my old (1904) house. I can honestly say that when I removed the trim surrounding the window I was shocked to see that there was really nothing there keeping drafts out. There must be incredible drafts coming in.
After much thought and study I have decide on the following: I am taking all the trim off around the window and cutting the plaster and lath back to the stud on the outside of the weight pocket so I can have access to the entire pocket and areas around the window frame. I was going to use conduit for the weight channels but I may use stovepipe and rivets to form the tube for weight travel because I need a hair more room than the conduit and because I want to cut notches in them for weight access.
I plan to use som low-expanding foam to seal the outside and then put the tubes in and fill the cavity with foam. The plaster and lath being cut back isn't a problem because the window trim covers the space and the foam seals out drafts.
Nicely varried thread. My viewpoint is like Norm's. Sometimes the juice just ain't worth the squeezing.
Clampman
There were some definite drafts through the weight pockets in my windows. There is an obvious difference in the rooms that have been completed. I scored a ton of points with the wife....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
I had a lot of wind draft coming in at the opening in the pulley. I removed the exterior casing(which needed replacing anyway) and removed the pulley and weight for the top window and replaced with spring loaded tape type counterweight made by Pullman Mfg. which fits into the old pulley opening. I then cut and fitted stips of solid 2" insulation board into the space formerly occupied by the weight, caulking it tight. The insulation had to be notched slightly around the counterweight. A lot of work, but it eliminated the drafts.
I've got to agree with Norm mostly. You're not going to gain much R-value due to the R-transparent windows.
As for drafts, what comes in, must go out. Or, more accurately, what goes out sucks replacement. I'll bet if you crawl around in the attic and carefully seal with foam insulation at all the ceiling penetrations (wall/ceiling intersections, holes for wires, ceiling mounted lights, Chimney etc.) you'll find much less of a draft through your windows. Also, you should caulk and putty the windows so that what little suction remaining won't come from the windows.
Now it'll come from your basement or crawlspace...
The real problem with old (single pane) windows is comfort, rather than drafts. Sure, a drafty window is uncomfortable, but a tight window that's only single pane will still be uncomfortable on a cold day (or hot day). Radiant heat will bake you in the summer through the window, and your body's radiant heat will be sucked away from you, through the windows, in the winter. High-performance triple-pane windows will help immensely, but they're expensive as hell.
Storm windows will help (can look crappy on a nice old house unless they're thoughtfully built, and will gather condensation unless airtight--which they probably won't be), washing the wall with heat will help (expensive waste of heating fuel) and thick curtains will also help (but cause massive condensation unless they're air-sealed with some sort of magnetic tape or something like that).
Tough question huh?
As far as the stovepipe and the PVC option, I'm not sure that's as great as it sounds. What are you going to do when the sash cord breaks? You'll have to remove the trim again, you won't be able to access it through the access pockets that the old carpenters put there for us.
I'd concentrate on air sealing, and not worry about the drafts because I think they'll disappear (if you fill the pockets and seal around the windows, the replacement air will be sucked from somewhere else -- maybe a moldy, radon-filled crawlspace).
Dan