House Windows RI

  

 delicious  

  

Home Maintenance 101
Not everyone is naturally handy. In fact, most people really aren’t. Knowing how to fix, repair, and maintain a home takes a lot of practice and learning, and it never really stops. There’s always something new and different to tackle as our homes change and become more efficient and, sometimes at the same time, complex.

But there are some basic bits of home maintenance nearly anyone can do, and those tasks are great “starters” for people who want to be handier but just don’t quite know where to start. One of the easiest places to start for beginners looking to learn how to maintain a house: windows. RI homes’ windows are put to the test every winter, and window caulking can really take a beating when our heating systems dry it out. Periodically, we all need to re-caulk our house windows. RI homeowners need to pay extra attention to window caulk, as this small element has a big impact on energy consumption and home heating costs.

Getting Started
Walk around your house and stop at each window. Check for glass damage such as cracks or discoloration. Inspect the frame for warping, bending, bowing, cracking, blistering, or peeling. Make sure the window opens and closes smoothly and completely. Look around the entire window and inspect the caulking. Is it dried out? Cracked? If so, you’ll need to replace it.

To replace caulk on a house window, RI residents should start with a putty knife, bucket to catch old caulk, and caulk gun. Carefully scrape away the old caulk and drop it in the bucket. Once it’s all been removed, along with any debris, wipe down the frame (not too wet, just to get rid of any residue), dry thoroughly, and then apply a new bead of caulk around the edges at a 45-degree angle. You may want a small tub of water and a rag handy, as you’re likely to get some caulk on your fingers when smoothing it, and it’s hard to keep going as the caulk builds up on your hands.

With older windows, you may find that you encounter small “window pins” (top and bottom at center, and two on the sides) and that some may come loose when you scrape the old caulk. You will need to replace these when you’re done by pushing in new pins (called “points,” and available at your hardware store) with a screwdriver tip after re-caulking the windows.

Looking for some other DIY Tips And Tricks? Check out the latest Moonworks blog posts for interesting articles and How-To’s. For more information on maintaining your home or to learn more about caring for your house windows, RI homeowners can contact us at 800-975-6666 or fill out the form on the right side of this page for a free in-home estimate.