At Home with Lisa: Window caulk

This summer, I managed to open a window that had been painted shut. We also opened the windows for our air conditioners. In doing this, I had to take out the rope caulk I had placed in the gaps in my windows to seal up any drafts.

Now that winter is on its way back to the Inland Northwest, I can start to feel drafts near these windows and filling them up is my top priority.

Rope caulk is an easy fix for these little drafty spots. It’s about $5 a roll, and you just pinch off a length and stuff it into the gaps. Avista’s website says that a gap of 1/8 of an inch around a door or window is the equivalent of having a softball-sized hole in the wall.

It’s also easy to remove when you are ready to open your windows again. Just peel it off.

If your windows are old, like mine, you might want to check for these drafty gaps in your window sills and fill them in with rope caulk.

Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday morning.