With the onset of cold weather, the thermal preservation of the room begins to trouble us. And since utility bills are only growing, more and more people are turning to the issue of thermal insulation. A large percentage of heat loss falls on the windows and can vary from 1/3 to 1/2. This problem is faced not only by the owners of old wooden windows, but also by plastic ones. To preserve heat and provide comfortable conditions, windows are sealed in various ways - some of them are temporary and will not last longer than one season, while others, more labor-intensive, will protect windows for several years. In this article, we will look at the main causes of seal failure and how to deal with them.
Causes of insulation failure
Wooden windows are highly economical and reliable. They can last for more than a decade, but with long-term operation, their insulation performance deteriorates: cracks, gaps, glass are misted, and even frost often appears. This happens for various reasons. These include the drying of wood, the deformation of the design of windows or the building itself. Drying the wood leads to cracks and destruction of the wooden structure. 
Deformation of the building can cause the window to skew, and its frame will loosely adhere to the wall. This will immediately lead to severe heat loss. Plastic windows, compared to wooden windows, are designed to improve thermal insulation and create a comfortable indoor environment. But not always their use will allow to keep warm - there are a number of reasons for this. These reasons include:
- substandard installation;
- seal defects;
- problems with double-glazed windows;
- mechanical damage.
Read also how to prepare the bees for winter, and how to cover the rose, grapes, apple, lily and raspberries for the winter.The cause of mechanical damage is improper operation, which arises from heavy loads. In this case, not only the frame design, but also the double-glazed windows and slopes may suffer. Slopes additionally help seal windows. Problems with them may occur due to poor installation or wear. As a result, the structure is destroyed and cracks or gaps are formed through which cold penetrates. There is a relationship between some causes. For example, improper installation can lead to problems with slopes and double-glazed windows.
Did you know? The first windows were created in Germany in the XIX century.
Common places for blowing
Before starting work on the sealing of windows, it is necessary to identify the places of inflation. 
Common places for blowing in wooden windows:
- slopes;
- window sill;
- place the junction of the window frame and sash;
- wooden frame;
- glass.
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- sash perimeter;
- window sill;
- slopes;
- Impost and frame joint;
- window hinges;
- sealant.
Did you know? Conducting research on various means of protecting against the effects of radiation, Japanese scientists have identified materials that reflect heat when applied to the glass surface.
Identify problem areas
If a survey of common sites for blowing did not help identify the problem area, you can use other methods. The first way is to hold a wet hand around the perimeter of the window; in the place of blowing, there will be a feeling of a strong temperature difference. Another option: to inspect the inside of the frame, but this method is only suitable for plastic windows. 
If these simple methods do not allow to identify problem areas, then you can use the flame of a candle or a lighter. If you hold a burning candle along the window frame, the junction with the slope and the window sill, the flame will begin to oscillate in places of blowing.
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What and how to warm
Measures to warm windows are divided into two categories: temporary and conditionally permanent. Temporary held annually with the onset of cold weather - these include insulation paper, cotton wool, foam rubber. The conventionally permanent methods include methods using assembly foam, sealant, rubber or polymer seals. Let's look at each of the methods of thermal insulation.
Newspaper (paper strips)
This method is very old, it was used by our grandmothers. Over time, the method of insulating windows using newspapers or paper strips has undergone some transformations, and now there are several options for its implementation. To seal window holes and seams, you can make paper putty.
We align our site, and build a cellar, a veranda and a perlog.It is necessary to grind paper or old newspapers, soften with water, and add clay or crushed chalk to the resulting mass. With such a mass we blur the gaps; for this purpose it is better to use a knife or a metal ruler. Such a tool penetrates well into hard to reach places. To close this putty suitable window tape or paper strips. You can also use strips of cloth. You can glue them with soap and water: pre-moistened strips smear with soap and cover the paper putty with them.
Another variation of this method involves insulation with paper skips. The slots are sealed with twisted paper tubes soaked in water. The joints of the frame and glass sealed with paper strips, smeared with soap.Important! When using scotch tape, a layer of old paint can peel off, so it may be necessary to paint.This method is very effective, but is only a temporary protection against cold. With the onset of warm days, insulation must be removed. But at this moment there is a new problem associated with the careful removal of the paper.
Energy Saving Film
A new trend in the insulation of windows is the use of energy-saving film. Its principle of operation is to reflect infrared rays and reduce heat loss. Such a film in the winter will protect the house from the cold, and in the summer will prevent the heating of the room. It is a good barrier to maintaining a comfortable climate in the house. 
Such protection can be applied to the entire surface of the window, and not just to the glass, which creates additional thermal insulation. Energy-saving film is also called the "third glass". There is a film that is glued to the window frame and forms an additional protection 0.5–1 cm wide. After its installation, the temperature in the room rises by 3 or even 7 ° C. The application of this method is convenient for both plastic and wooden windows.
Polyfoam, polyurethane foam, basalt wool, foam rubber, paraffin wax
Other materials are used for thermal insulation of windows. For example, foam rubber, paraffin wax, foam plastic or polyurethane foam. Consider the features of the application of each of these materials. The use of foam bands will help protect windows from drafts. This material easily penetrates into the gaps between the doors and the window frame. Narrow foam strips are excellent for pasting window sashes around the perimeter, fit snugly and allow the window to be used in winter. 
If you stick such a seal in several rows, it will improve the tightness of the room. To seal the gap of more than 2 mm using flat foam. To fill the gaps with foam rubber, use a thin and blunt object, such as a screwdriver or a table knife. After filling the gaps, they are sealed with tape, which provides additional thermal insulation. Small gaps are convenient for paraffin embedding. Using a steam bath, it is heated to 60-70 ° C - in this state it is easy to dial into a syringe - after which they fill the gap.
Properly store vegetables in your home.Paraffin is an excellent draft barrier. If the gap is large enough, then use a clothesline in combination with paraffin. But this protection is enough for only one season. It is possible to warm wooden windows by means of sealant (acrylic or silicone). These sealants are applied to the border between the glass and the frame, as well as between the window sill and the window profile. To seal the window frames, you must first remove the beadings, clean the debris and apply a sealant at the junction of the glass with the window frame.
It is possible to mount the beadings only after complete drying of the sealant. It should be borne in mind that after dismantling the beadings, you may need new ones, since they often break. Thus, you not only warm the window, but also perform repairs.
Important! To seal the gaps in the wooden windows, you can use putty for wood or a mixture of gypsum and chalk. After performing the insulation work, lacquer and paint can be used as a finishing coat. Unlike sealant or paraffin, such a coating falls without problems.Foam plastic can be used as a slope insulation, which is used for both exterior and interior decoration. Before using the foam it is necessary to pretreat the surface: remove dirt and old foam. For insulating slopes, it is better to use sheet foam, which is convenient to use and has high thermal insulation properties. The foam is stuck on the slope and all the cracks are sealed.
Reinforced mesh is glued to the foam base, then plaster can be applied and painted. Basalt wool, like foam, is an excellent insulating material. Use of this material will allow to warm slopes and window sills. The advantages of this material include fire resistance. When using this material for external insulation of slopes, additional finishing is required, as this material easily becomes wet and loses its thermal insulation properties.Make a retaining wall on the site.Sometimes a simple insulation or sealant is not enough to insulate windows. For example, when there are large gaps in the window frame or through the junction of the window opening and the frame. In such cases, it is better to use foam. With its help you can not only warm the slopes, but also isolate the space under the window sill. But during prolonged contact of the mounting foam with the external environment, it deteriorates its insulating properties and may even partially break down. Such insulation is a very effective and affordable solution to the heat loss problem.
Important! For sealing you can make your own putty. To do this, mix 1 part of chalk and 2 parts of stucco with the addition of water. This putty will be an excellent alternative to the mounting foam.You can also seal the window design using a tubular profile. It differs in high reliability and long service life that will allow to carry them to conditionally constant methods of warming. It is better to install such an insulator in the warm season, but you can perform it with the onset of cold weather, the main thing is that the temperature does not fall below -10 ° C. It is attached to the window frame with a self-adhesive strip. Such isolation is laborious, but the result will not take long. The tubular sealer is used to insulate a window according to the so-called "Swedish" technology.
Before starting work on weatherizing windows, it is necessary to determine the size of the seal. To do this, use a piece of clay wrapped in polyethylene. It is placed in the gap between the window sash and the frame and close the window. Depending on the size of the gap, a tubular seal of dimensions E, P, D is used. To install the seal, it is necessary to make a slot in the support frame. Fix the seal with glue. The use of this method allows us to insulate windows for 20 years, or even more.
Progress on weatherization of wooden and plastic windows
Each of the methods of insulation listed above is effective. But any work carried out in the complex is much more efficient than using them separately. Let's look at the procedure for sealing.
Step 1: Replace Seals
People who are faced with the problem of breaking the insulation of windows, first of all replace the seal. It is best to do this work in the dry and warm. Replacing the seal on wooden windows is quite simple. But with plastic things are different - the seal on them wears out after 5 years of operation. It is recommended to replace only the one that has already worn out and cannot cope with its functions. In other cases, using silicone putty a couple of times a year, you can extend the life of the seal. To replace the rubber seal on the windows, you must pry the old one and pull it out. Before you insert a new seal, you must wipe the grooves from dust. A new sealant is necessary to buy the same thickness and, preferably, the same manufacturer. Insert a new seal into the cleaned grooves. For the convenience of this operation, it is recommended to remove the sash. Thus, the seal on the sash and window frame is replaced. To change the rubber gasket that protects the glass, you need to perform more complex and time-consuming operations.
Important! Seals from different manufacturers have a different structure, and may also differ in color.First, remove beadings that keep the glass. Now you can easily remove the glass and pull the seal out of the grooves. Just as when replacing the seal on the doors, the grooves must be cleaned. Rubber gasket is recommended to cut with a margin of 6 cm, in which case it will fit snugly around the entire perimeter of the glass unit. A new seal is placed in the slots, after which you can collect everything back. For additional fixation of the sealant, you can use glue.
Step 2: Adjust the clamp (only new designs)
For many, this function in plastic windows may seem like a novelty, but manufacturers recommend adjusting the clamp 2 times a year. For each season it should be your own. To perform this adjustment, you will need a 4 mm Allen key or pliers, depending on the window design. At the end of the sash there is an eccentric with a risk, which is required. The eccentric is a device for adjusting the fit of the leaf to the window frame. In plastic constructions it is possible to set the winter and summer modes, as well as the average, which is set by default.
Build a greenhouse of polycarbonate, wood and polypropylene pipes.Rotating the eccentric, you can adjust the tightness of the valves. Using the winter mode allows you to keep warm in the room due to a more snug fit. And with the onset of warm days, the windows are transferred to the summer mode, which allows for increased air circulation. In some cases, this adjustment is not enough, so make additional adjustment loops. If the design of the window provides for winter airing, then carry out the adjustment and the lower and upper loops. And in cases where such a function is not provided, it is enough just to adjust the lower loops. For such settings, you must open a window. In the open position, set the flap to the ventilation position. Only in this position can the upper loop be adjusted. Rotating the adjusting screw, you can change the tightness of the sash to the frame.
Step 3: Warming Slopes
For insulation slopes can be used a variety of materials. The most popular of them are polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam and gasket with a layer of polyvinyl chloride. All of them provide good thermal insulation. Перед тем как определиться с материалом для уплотнения, необходимо исследовать внешние и внутренние откосы. Некачественно выполненные работы или износ материала могут привести к тому, что теплоизоляция помещения нарушится.In such a situation, before starting to warm, you must remove the old material and install the slopes again. Thermal bushings can be used to insulate the slopes from the inside. After their careful fixation and strengthening, they produce a cosmetic trim of the slopes. Basalt wool can be used as such liners. Another option is to stick the foam on the inner surface of the slopes. Then it should be putty or covered with drywall.
Did you know? There is a myth that heat-insulating materials scare away mice, but there are no such materials.Another method of finishing and sealing is the installation of so-called "sandwich panels". In this panel there is already a heat-insulating layer, which makes them a convenient option for insulating slopes. For additional sealing, a layer of cotton wool can be used as the basis for the sandwich panel. An important point in the process of warming slopes is the inadmissibility of the presence of air gaps.
To avoid such a problem, you can use special adhesives. They are applied around the perimeter of the treated surface, as well as on the seams. Properly applied glue promotes good adhesion to the surface of the slope.Step 4: Work with the windowsill
Another problem area in the insulation of the window is the window sill. Poor installation can lead to big problems during operation. For example, if the space under the sill is not sufficiently filled with foam, there may be air pockets that break the insulation. Another problem is the destruction of the foam under the influence of mechanical loads or thermal factors.
Important! When installing window constructions in wintertime, it is necessary to use the so-called "winter" foam, which provides better sealing.In such situations, re-sealing with mounting foam is required. To carry out such work, it is first necessary to remove the old foam, and then fill the space with a new layer. But such material does not allow to close small gaps. You can seal them using a sealant. It penetrates well into the cracks and completely seals them. In addition, it repels water well. The combination of such materials will allow to close all problem areas.
Step 5: Glass pasting
Sometimes, after the elimination of all problems, the heat loss remains at a fairly high level. In such cases, to ensure thermal insulation pasted over glass. Various materials can be used for this. For example, for better protection from exposure to low temperatures, you can glue tape over the junction of the glass and frame. As a heater for glass can also be used energy-saving film.
For the insulation of windows can be used and packaging film, or, as it is also called, a film with bubbles. This film can be purchased at any hardware store. It helps to protect the house from the cold and improves the energy efficiency of the building. It takes very little time to install it, and later it does not require special care. The film can be repeatedly glued and peeled off. This seal does not prevent the ingress of sunlight. 
Scissors, an atomizer and a film with bubbles are required for installation. Cut the film to the size of the glass and moisten its flat side. Apply the film on the wet glass with the wet side. Water provides good adhesion to the surface. The attached film is well leveled. This insulation helps protect the glass from unnecessary heat loss, and most importantly - it is a very convenient and economical method. The use of the film leaves no residue, which facilitates the care of the window after removing the seal.
Step 6: Insulation from the outside
On the outside of the building they warm the slopes and ebb. The lack of thermal insulation of external slopes will not allow to reliably protect windows from drafts and cold. For thermal insulation of external slopes, a foam plastic with a thickness of 5 cm and a mounting grid are used. The decoration of the slopes from the outside is often accompanied by a complete warming of the building, but this work can also be carried out separately.
Important! The foam should overlap part of the window frame and completely close the assembly seam.In the process of performing such work, the previously prepared foam plastic strips are tightly glued to the previously cleaned surface. At the end of such work, the foam must be plastered, which will protect it from further destruction. When performing insulation work, it must be remembered that for the correct distribution of light in the room, the slopes must have an unfolded angle with respect to the window.
Drain - a very important point to ensure the tightness of the window. To prevent moisture from accumulating, the slope must have a 5 ° bevel and protrude 4 cm from the building, and the side edges must be bent upwards. This form will allow water to flow freely without penetrating under the outflow. For additional protection from moisture, the seat of the reflux to the window and the slopes is additionally sealed.How to stick a heat insulating film
Such protection due to its multi-layer structure has a low heat transfer coefficient. Energy saving effect is provided by the air gap. Protection of 15 microns allows you to raise the temperature in the room by 3 ° C. For installation, you will need a knife, scissors and a hairdryer. For wooden structures, the film can be applied both on the entire surface of the window, and only on glass. If you stick it on the entire surface of the window frame, it is necessary to seal the gap, and for ease of operation - remove the handle. The windows must first be well cleaned and degreased.
Learn how to choose a lawn mower, pumping station, a dry closet, a gasoline trimmer and a mini-tractor to give.Double-sided tape is glued to a clean surface around the perimeter. The film is folded in two layers, so you need to separate them. Cutting the film to the size of the window. It should be borne in mind that the film should be glued to the tape, so it is worth making a stock of 2 cm. Before sticking check the accuracy of measurements. If all measurements are correct, then you can remove the protective paper strip with double-sided tape. For further work you will need help. Gently distribute the film over the entire surface of the window and glue around the perimeter.
Find out what is a thermal drive for greenhouses.At the moment, you can ignore the wrinkles that form. When sticking it is not necessary to strongly stretch the film, as it has a shrinkable structure. To smooth out wrinkles, use a hairdryer. Under the influence of hot air the film is smoothed and settles. Another way to seal windows is to stick the film directly to the surface of the glass. In this case, the glass unit is removed from the frame, after which it can be applied to the window. It has a different coating of the sides, one of which is metallized. It is necessary to stick the film on the glass with this side. To glue the glass moistened with water and smooth. In the process of work it is necessary to ensure that creases or bubbles are not created. So, we looked at simple and affordable ways to help protect windows from blowing. However, the best option for protection against drafts and cold is a complex of heat-shielding works. Now you know how to insulate your home, so that in the future problems with blowing windows you will not have.
