Get ready for cold weather: fix those windows and doors now!
When a homesteader purchases that dream place, it often comes with an old house. On the surface, it might not even seem to be worth fixing up. However, you can do a lot with a little, if you're resourceful and patient.
(Bev Sandlin in 79/4 should be an inspiration to us all.) Our old farmhouse was built around 1929 and although strongly built of native lumber, it lacked a lot. One of the things it lacked was windows that sealed the cold air out.
Daylight was also visible under the front and rear doors. Sure kept me busy cutting wood the first winter. Since we're approaching cold weather again, this is a good time to pass on two of my "fixes" to our Countryside family.
The first one is on sealing old wooden windows and number two is installing a new aluminum threshold and "KwickSet" type latch on an old door. The payback in better heating is well worth the effort. If you look at drawing (A) it shows a typical old style wooden window.
Note that cold air can easily get between the two window half sections. When the window was new, this was a fairly tight seal but the wood wears or warps with age and a gap develops. To correct this we will install a felt seal strip between the sections.
This will form a permanent seal to eliminate cold air infiltration. First purchase enough 5/8" wide by 1/8" thick felt strip to do all your windows. Measure the width of the windows and figure two strips for each window.
You will also need waterproof wood glue, a staple gun and a sharp wood chisel. A razor knife will also be useful. To start, we need to remove the molding strips on each side of the lower sash. You may need to remove only one strip, depending on the actual construction.
if this is the case simply swing the window outward, door fashion, to remove it. Besides sealing out cold drafts, now is the best time to re-glaze and/or repaint. These are much easier done with the window apart.
If needed, do this first, before installing the new seals. You may also need to correct the fit of the window in the frame. I installed holding blocks on mine to insure everything stayed in place.
Refer to drawing (B).
Refer to drawing (C).
This is how the center sash sealing strip is installed. Lay the felt strip on the window and with your razor knife, cut it about 1/4" extra long. Determine now if you need to inset the felt 1/16" or not.
See note on drawing (C) Next run a ribbon of water resistant glue (Elmers Carpenters Wood Glue is what I used) approximately 5/8" wide along the top of the sash. Butt the end of the felt tight against the molding strip and press shotgun into the glue. Staple (or tack) the felt a bout every 3" or 4" to hold in place until the glue dries.
With the razor knife, cut the excess felt off the other end. Now we are ready for the bottom seal on the lower sash. Refer to drawing (D). Scribe a line 51," wide the width of the bottom of the lower sash.
With the razor knife, score on this line about 1/16" deep. Remove this 5/8" X 1/16" strip with the wood chisel. Cut a length of felt 1/4" extra long to fit in this cut-out strip.
Spread the wood glue as before and install felt with about 1/8" overhang on each end. Staple or tack as before. Let the glue become fairly tacky before trimming the ends flush with the frame. The felt will compress 1/16" when the sash is closed and seal any rough spots in the window sill.
When the glue has dried, install the lower sash and adjust the molding strips for a good sliding fit. Don't try to fit them too tight or every time it rains, your windows will house stick. Before I did this to our old windows we had cold drafts even with plastic storm windows installed.
Now the place is "as snug as a gremlin's nest" to use an old saying. Best thing about this "fix" is that it's dirt cheap. The heat saved will pay you back in a short time.
Now for the doors.
.. Now that your windows are better sealed, let's take a look at the doors. Most old wooden doors have a gap at the threshold that lets in cold air. You can roll up an old towel and place it at the bottom of the door, (works pretty good actually!) or go for a more permanent solution.
Looking at all the low cost options, I chose to install an aluminum threshold with a rubber sealing strip built-in. To install, we first need to know the clearance from the floor. The rubber will need to be compressed about 1/0" when the door is closed for a good seal.
Also, if the door has a flat bottom, you need to cut a 5 degree angle on it to engage the seal properly. barrel Choose a threshold width closest to the actual width of your door. You will probably need to cut to exact fit.
See drawing (A) for details.
Remove the old wooden threshold, close the door and measure the clearance under it. You may have to leave the old threshold in place if it's part of the door frame. Use your best judgment on this. In an old house the builder may have invented his own way of installing things.
For proper clearance you will need the height of the new threshold, minus 1/8" for seal compression plus the amount removed for the 5 degree cut on door bottom. I determined this for mine, then scribed a line on the door for the cut before removing it. Most old doors are out of plumb and this insures a good fit.
There was about 1/4" difference from one side to the other on my front door. See drawings (B)&(C) for details. Clamp a straightedge on the door to guide your saw to make this cut. DOUBLE CHECK to be sure the slant is headed the right way: you have opened a can of worms if its not.
Read all the directions on the threshold package before you start and don't despair if you have too much clearance. You can shim the threshold, if needed, with a strip or two of 4mm wall paneling board. When you're satisfied with the fit, seal the ends with caulking and admire your handiwork.
Before removing the door, measure for the needed clearance and mark the door on each side. Even if the doorway is out of plumb, doing style it this way will insure a true fit with the new threshold. Now the latch Now that you have that new threshold, how about the latch? If yours are as worn out as my old ones were you might like a change.
This deals with the old "skeleton key" type of locks that are mortised into the door. See sketch (A). First remove the old lock assembly and with a sharp wood chisel, true up the mortise cut, if needed. Now measure the mortise and cut a piece of wood to be a tight fit inside of it.
Cut the wood about 1" extra long for installation. Coat the inside of the mortise and the block of wood with carpenter's wood glue and drive the new wood into place. Clamp as shown in sketch (B) until glue has set.
Now cut off the part of the new wood sticking out flush with the edge of the door. You can now install a new "Kwickset" type lock of your choice. Follow the directions furnished with the new lockset and make the required cuts.
You will have places (the old keyhole etc.) that the trim on the new lock will not cover. Fill these places with wood filler of your choice and when it is set, sand smooth and finish to match door.
Now install the new lockset and catch and adjust for best fit. If you use care filling in the holes and matching the finish it will look like a new door. Not bad for the price of a lock and a little elbow grease.
Quick tip: Fence staple driver makes a tough chore easier A driver for staples while fencing has really come in handy for me. Just get a piece of turbing or pipe that will flatten out to the correct size for whatever staple you're driving. You want the staple to easily fit into the tube.
In use you start the staple then place the driver over it and hit it with the hammer. This keeps the staple from going sideways or curling. I've made one for three different size staples.
I also find it handy to put a short handle on the side of the driver by welding a short piece of rod or large nail to the tube. Hint: Use a pair of needle nose pliers to hold small staples to get them started. Family album: An unusual window treatment Kathy Doss Hensley, Lancaster, Ohio, sent this picture and story: My dearest friends, Sharon and LC Nicolia, bought 69 acres of beautiful land in the Hocking Hills area of Central Ohio.
There are woods, rolling pastures, a big barn, a falling-down log cabin, and one little outbuilding. LC and I were raised in Lancaster, a small, somewhat farm town. Sharon on the other hand was an Air Force kid, growing up everywhere, mostly in big cities.
Now, after five years of hard work and determination, she has become a country kid! They turned half of the three-story barn into a beautiful home. They are painstakingly taking the log home down, to rebuild later. Sharon has a big garden, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats, and some of the prettiest flowers around.
Now back to the little outbuilding.
.. Sharon has always wanted a window box, but the windows in the barn are way too high. But LC made her a nifty one... which she hung on the front of the outbuilding. She planted some flowers in it, but it just didn't look right.
So she found a weathered old window frame, with no glass, and hung it above the window box.
(Bev Sandlin in 79/4 should be an inspiration to us all.) Our old farmhouse was built around 1929 and although strongly built of native lumber, it lacked a lot. One of the things it lacked was windows that sealed the cold air out.
Daylight was also visible under the front and rear doors. Sure kept me busy cutting wood the first winter. Since we're approaching cold weather again, this is a good time to pass on two of my "fixes" to our Countryside family.
The first one is on sealing old wooden windows and number two is installing a new aluminum threshold and "KwickSet" type latch on an old door. The payback in better heating is well worth the effort. If you look at drawing (A) it shows a typical old style wooden window.
Note that cold air can easily get between the two window half sections. When the window was new, this was a fairly tight seal but the wood wears or warps with age and a gap develops. To correct this we will install a felt seal strip between the sections.
This will form a permanent seal to eliminate cold air infiltration. First purchase enough 5/8" wide by 1/8" thick felt strip to do all your windows. Measure the width of the windows and figure two strips for each window.
You will also need waterproof wood glue, a staple gun and a sharp wood chisel. A razor knife will also be useful. To start, we need to remove the molding strips on each side of the lower sash. You may need to remove only one strip, depending on the actual construction.
if this is the case simply swing the window outward, door fashion, to remove it. Besides sealing out cold drafts, now is the best time to re-glaze and/or repaint. These are much easier done with the window apart.
If needed, do this first, before installing the new seals. You may also need to correct the fit of the window in the frame. I installed holding blocks on mine to insure everything stayed in place.
Refer to drawing (B).
Refer to drawing (C).
This is how the center sash sealing strip is installed. Lay the felt strip on the window and with your razor knife, cut it about 1/4" extra long. Determine now if you need to inset the felt 1/16" or not.
See note on drawing (C) Next run a ribbon of water resistant glue (Elmers Carpenters Wood Glue is what I used) approximately 5/8" wide along the top of the sash. Butt the end of the felt tight against the molding strip and press shotgun into the glue. Staple (or tack) the felt a bout every 3" or 4" to hold in place until the glue dries.
With the razor knife, cut the excess felt off the other end. Now we are ready for the bottom seal on the lower sash. Refer to drawing (D). Scribe a line 51," wide the width of the bottom of the lower sash.
With the razor knife, score on this line about 1/16" deep. Remove this 5/8" X 1/16" strip with the wood chisel. Cut a length of felt 1/4" extra long to fit in this cut-out strip.
Spread the wood glue as before and install felt with about 1/8" overhang on each end. Staple or tack as before. Let the glue become fairly tacky before trimming the ends flush with the frame. The felt will compress 1/16" when the sash is closed and seal any rough spots in the window sill.
When the glue has dried, install the lower sash and adjust the molding strips for a good sliding fit. Don't try to fit them too tight or every time it rains, your windows will house stick. Before I did this to our old windows we had cold drafts even with plastic storm windows installed.
Now the place is "as snug as a gremlin's nest" to use an old saying. Best thing about this "fix" is that it's dirt cheap. The heat saved will pay you back in a short time.
Now for the doors.
.. Now that your windows are better sealed, let's take a look at the doors. Most old wooden doors have a gap at the threshold that lets in cold air. You can roll up an old towel and place it at the bottom of the door, (works pretty good actually!) or go for a more permanent solution.
Looking at all the low cost options, I chose to install an aluminum threshold with a rubber sealing strip built-in. To install, we first need to know the clearance from the floor. The rubber will need to be compressed about 1/0" when the door is closed for a good seal.
Also, if the door has a flat bottom, you need to cut a 5 degree angle on it to engage the seal properly. barrel Choose a threshold width closest to the actual width of your door. You will probably need to cut to exact fit.
See drawing (A) for details.
Remove the old wooden threshold, close the door and measure the clearance under it. You may have to leave the old threshold in place if it's part of the door frame. Use your best judgment on this. In an old house the builder may have invented his own way of installing things.
For proper clearance you will need the height of the new threshold, minus 1/8" for seal compression plus the amount removed for the 5 degree cut on door bottom. I determined this for mine, then scribed a line on the door for the cut before removing it. Most old doors are out of plumb and this insures a good fit.
There was about 1/4" difference from one side to the other on my front door. See drawings (B)&(C) for details. Clamp a straightedge on the door to guide your saw to make this cut. DOUBLE CHECK to be sure the slant is headed the right way: you have opened a can of worms if its not.
Read all the directions on the threshold package before you start and don't despair if you have too much clearance. You can shim the threshold, if needed, with a strip or two of 4mm wall paneling board. When you're satisfied with the fit, seal the ends with caulking and admire your handiwork.
Before removing the door, measure for the needed clearance and mark the door on each side. Even if the doorway is out of plumb, doing style it this way will insure a true fit with the new threshold. Now the latch Now that you have that new threshold, how about the latch? If yours are as worn out as my old ones were you might like a change.
This deals with the old "skeleton key" type of locks that are mortised into the door. See sketch (A). First remove the old lock assembly and with a sharp wood chisel, true up the mortise cut, if needed. Now measure the mortise and cut a piece of wood to be a tight fit inside of it.
Cut the wood about 1" extra long for installation. Coat the inside of the mortise and the block of wood with carpenter's wood glue and drive the new wood into place. Clamp as shown in sketch (B) until glue has set.
Now cut off the part of the new wood sticking out flush with the edge of the door. You can now install a new "Kwickset" type lock of your choice. Follow the directions furnished with the new lockset and make the required cuts.
You will have places (the old keyhole etc.) that the trim on the new lock will not cover. Fill these places with wood filler of your choice and when it is set, sand smooth and finish to match door.
Now install the new lockset and catch and adjust for best fit. If you use care filling in the holes and matching the finish it will look like a new door. Not bad for the price of a lock and a little elbow grease.
Quick tip: Fence staple driver makes a tough chore easier A driver for staples while fencing has really come in handy for me. Just get a piece of turbing or pipe that will flatten out to the correct size for whatever staple you're driving. You want the staple to easily fit into the tube.
In use you start the staple then place the driver over it and hit it with the hammer. This keeps the staple from going sideways or curling. I've made one for three different size staples.
I also find it handy to put a short handle on the side of the driver by welding a short piece of rod or large nail to the tube. Hint: Use a pair of needle nose pliers to hold small staples to get them started. Family album: An unusual window treatment Kathy Doss Hensley, Lancaster, Ohio, sent this picture and story: My dearest friends, Sharon and LC Nicolia, bought 69 acres of beautiful land in the Hocking Hills area of Central Ohio.
There are woods, rolling pastures, a big barn, a falling-down log cabin, and one little outbuilding. LC and I were raised in Lancaster, a small, somewhat farm town. Sharon on the other hand was an Air Force kid, growing up everywhere, mostly in big cities.
Now, after five years of hard work and determination, she has become a country kid! They turned half of the three-story barn into a beautiful home. They are painstakingly taking the log home down, to rebuild later. Sharon has a big garden, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats, and some of the prettiest flowers around.
Now back to the little outbuilding.
.. Sharon has always wanted a window box, but the windows in the barn are way too high. But LC made her a nifty one... which she hung on the front of the outbuilding. She planted some flowers in it, but it just didn't look right.
So she found a weathered old window frame, with no glass, and hung it above the window box.
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