Crucial Tips for Weatherproofing Your Home

Did you know that summer offers the ideal time to weatherproof your Denver home? Even though you do the weatherproofing during the hottest days of the year, it continues to pay off year-round because when you weatherproof, you seal drafts. Those drafts can increase your utility bills all year.

Weatherproofing Your Home’s Roof

Let’s start with the top of your Denver home, the roof. Home repair guru Bob Vila recommends homeowners have a roof aged 10 years old or older inspected by a professional roofing contractor. This inspection reveals any developing problems or existing leaks. Typically, the roofer offers an estimate for the repairs if it needs any.

Besides addressing leaks and missing shingles, also address the interior of the home’s roof. In the attic or crawl space, add insulation. Do this either by adding to the existing insulation with a new layer or upgrading the R-value of the insulation.

Replace Worn Siding

Walk around the perimeter of your home, examining the siding as you do. Note any pieces of worn siding that developed holes, chipped-off areas, or come off entirely. Replace those pieces of siding. Here’s a tip for shopping for replacement siding: the industry measurement avoids square footage and uses a square, meaning 10 feet by 10 feet or 100 square feet. Be careful when you place your order because one square and one square foot vary vastly.

Some siding issues you can repair with a combination of epoxy and wood replacement. These kits let you rebuild the wood in place. If you only need to address one or two pieces of siding, a $50 kit works a lot better than hundreds of dollars for siding. Paint over the rebuild to make it match the rest of the home.

Seal the Doors

Before you buy draft stoppers and weather stripping, check how the door hangs. Tom Silva, a general contractor with “This Old House,” offers a five-step method of dealing with drafty doors. Follow these steps to weatherproof your exterior doors:

1. Examine the door for gaps, using a level to check if it’s plumb (properly, evenly hung). Measure its perimeter to determine the length of weatherstripping you’ll need. Check for door damage, such as cracks, dents, bumps, or warping. Clean the door, its jamb, and the home’s threshold.
2. Level the door, if needed, and make small adjustments. Inspect the hinges on an uneven door. Add a shim added behind the hinge to create a level work surface. Tighten any loose screws. Replace missing screws, using at least one four-inch screw per strike plate. If the door remains unleveled, tighten or loosen the hinge knuckle. Some hinges may need replacement or reinstalling. If you lack do-it-yourselfer experience, have a professional shim the door if needed.
3. Make strike plate and latch adjustments. Once leveled, you may need to move the location of the latches and strike plates so the door latches properly. Tighten the mounting screws; if that doesn’t fix the problem, line up the plate with the door latches. Remove the plate, cut a new hole, then replace the strike plate and secure it with screws.
4. Install weather stripping along the top, bottom, and latch side of the door. Some doors come with kerf weatherstripping. Replace worn kerf with adhesive weather stripping or rubber seals.
5. Address the door’s bottom edge. Test its seal by trying to slip a piece of paper under it. If you can, you need to reseal the door’s bottom, using a new seal, a door sweep, or repair the threshold. The rubber seals on a threshold can become worn over time.

Seal the Windows

Older windows can require re-sealing because their weatherstripping wears out as the home ages. Make your windows seem newly installed by adding new weatherstripping to each window frame. Measure the length of the windows, then purchase stripping accordingly. Choose either adhesive-backed weatherstripping or metal-backed rubber seals.

Address Water Damage

Address water damage by replacing warped or rotted wood or laminate. This happens more often than you might think; one in 50 homeowners files a home insurance claim for water damage, according to Forbes. Remove the planks that incurred damage and replace them with new plywood or laminate. Replace the flooring product, too.

Get Weather Ready

Homeowners can easily address weatherproofing their homes. Not only will you avoid the cold, you can also save on energy costs. Enjoy a warmer Denver winter by getting weather ready this summer by following these tips.