As Jan said, things you can do right now start with wall plates that have
foam behind them, Hardware stores sell them.
Then there is weather stripping, I prefer to use the stuff that has a metal
strips with a round rubber bead, you cut them to length, as these things
move around a lot, and but the stuff that installs with screws, it is rare
when I don't have to give one a minor adjustment every year.
The trick to installing them is visits a bunch of paces that give out
business cards..... get 4-5 of them, and when you put the rubber against the
door, the business card must slide in easily, but not fall out when you let
go, you'll wrench a few cards before you get the hang of is, but as long as
someone else is supplying the business cards, you'll do OK, I can do two
doors with one card, so I use mine.
To many types of windows to tell you what type of insulation to use, but ACE
hardware a few year ago came out with this over sized cellophane with sticky
tape. You put the tape on the side of the window, do all four sides, then
peel the backing off of one side and 'gently' push the saran wrap stuff
against it, then do the top, that way you know it is square, then work the
sides down to the bottom getting most of the wrinkles out of it, when done
press on the tape firmly and then use a heat gun to shrink wrap it in place,
a hair dryer will do just as well.
I have put this stuff on the out side of a window when there wasn't any
chance of stuff puncturing it. Going around the outside of the frame is
ideal, that way you are bypassing the potential leaks. You can peel the
stuff off without hurting good paint (if the paint is flaking or peeling,
well, it will flake and peel off, what can I say?) when spring/summer comes,
though in the last place I lived, I just left it on the windows that never
opened as then it didn't let as much heat through in the summer too. A step
up from a redneck double/triple pain winder.
Where the brick/concrete meets wood, use an acrylic caulk, if you screw it
up and it ain't pretty you can remove it later or paint over it. Anything
you do outside, make sure your material will work in the temperatures you
are stuck working in.
As far as your 1950's house is concerned, be grateful it isn't a 1960's
house, the newer they are, the worse the construction but they did start to
ensure better insulation even though the electric company wasn't really
interested in having you get rid of their cash cow.
I wished I had never run out of Pre Victorians and the newer crappier
Victorians to work on, sure miss quality. The 1920's stuff was rather good
too at lest in the West US.
Scott
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