What Door & Window Winter Maintenance Tasks Do Minneapolis Homes Need?

Your exterior doors and windows need to be in the best possible shape to maintain their designed energy efficiency as well as keep your home comfortable.   Fortunately we’ve had a relatively mild winter so far, but depending on whose weather outlook you put your trust in, colder weather could be coming the end of January and into February, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.   (In contrast, the National Weather Service predicts a warmer-than-average winter for the Minneapolis area, but both agree on heavier precipitation in the form of rain and snow.)

Regardless of which weather forecast you believe, winter door and window maintenance is still a good idea.

• Check around door and window openings for drafts.  One home maintenance expert suggests wetting the palm of your hand and passing it around the edges of your exterior doors and your windows.  Air leakage will make your wet hand feel colder.  Adhesive-backed rubber or foam insulation will help.  Insulated door sweeps at the bottom are also good.
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  Infrared image from a typical home energy audit of a door opening

  Contact your local utility company to schedule an energy audit – some companies do this free of charge for their customers.  Winter is a great time to do this, and since most heat or cooling loss in a home is around door and window openings, the results could show how you could make a major reduction in your heating and cooling expenses.  Shown below is an image that shows the result of testing around an entry door.  The blue area at the bottom of the door indicates cold air coming in.

• Check your door and window hardware to make sure they lock securely.  Keeping doors and windows in the locked position makes a tighter seal.  If your locks don’t work well, time to repair or replace them.

Sometimes doors and windows need more than just a little weatherstripping or minor repairs, and the air leakage is the fault of a failed seal or a loose-fitting door or window. If that’s the case, replacements would be in order.  If you’re questioning whether your doors and windows are leaking air and wasting heat, contact us – we’d be happy to evaluate your current doors and windows and make suggestions for energy-efficiency improvement.  

Window Outfitters, Inc. is a licensed Minnesota home improvement contractor based in Savage MN.  We serve the greater Minneapolis St. Paul metro area and specialize in the installation of energy-efficient replacement windows and exterior doors.

 

 

 

Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.