Weatherproofing an Older Home: What are Your Options?

Older homes are mostly seen as classic, charming, and beautiful pieces of art. They were built many years ago using materials that are mostly not used today and remind us of where we have come from as human beings. Some people love staying in older homes and value them a lot.

However, they can be quite uncomfortable and feel drafty especially when the weather is cold. Modern homes are designed with comfort and temperature in the house in mind. This is unlike older homes that rely on nature for their ventilation.

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Most of them are said to use air leaks for breathing – or rather letting air in and out of the house through transfer by materials used when building them and infiltration. Infiltration is the movement of air through joints and cracks.

This explains the reason why some older homeowners have been looking at the options they have for weatherproofing their homes. During the cold season, people living in older homes are the first ones to be affected. This can be blamed on their seasoned construction that makes them lose heat.

Here are some of the options available for older homeowners who would like to weatherproof their homes;

Point Up Foundations

A bigger percentage of older houses are constructed on block foundations, brick, or stone. When it comes to weatherproofing such homes, the secret is making sure that you have sealed all the necessary gaps that might be available for you to prevent heat from escaping.

You can do that through Polyflex weatherstripping which is used to provide waterproofing coating for brickwork, stone, and concrete. You can use it in and outside the house to ensure that all gaps are blocked.

Polyflex weatherstripping is not only good for weatherproofing but also for preventing the seepage of pollutants, salt, and water

Sealing Door and Window Exteriors

One way of weatherproofing an older home is through sealing door and window exteriors. You can do this by caulking the frame of the doors and windows paying close attention to the areas between clapboards or shingles and trim edges. This is important in preventing water and air infiltration through gaps existing in these areas.

You also need to make sure that joints between different building materials are also caulked. This could be areas such as the joints between stone and wood. When doing this, you need to make sure that the undersides of doors and windows are not caulked.

This is because these areas are very important for letting vapor escape from your home. You can use polyurethane or clear silicone caulks for this work.

Fireplace Dampers

Most older houses come with fireplaces with dampers fixed above the firebox. They are used for closing the flue to ensure that heat loss is limited when the fireplace is not in use. Most homeowners only inspect their fireplaces when preparing their homes for the winter season.

However, sometimes the dampers might be shut or completely open, something caused by fallen debris or damage from old age. This causes heat loss and might make a home quite uncomfortable.

You need to ensure that the damper works well to keep your home warm at all times. You can call an expert to fix it in case of any problems.

Door Weatherstrips

Even though they are old, some older homes already have weatherstrips mounted on the surface of their doors. These might include things such as sweeps on the floor and rubber bulbs on the jamb of the doors.

If you have done everything to weatherproof the home but still feel that it is still uncomfortable, you need to inspect the seals to see if there are any drafts. You can do this using an incensed lighted stick and adjust the seals to cover any gaping holes.

You can also check any metallic weatherstrips to see if they have all their sections or if some of them are bent from damage and old age and repair them or replace any parts that could be missing.

Conclusion

Living in an older house can be fun but uncomfortable especially due to the escape of regulated air in the house.

However, you do not need to hire someone to take care of insulation for your home. You can weatherproof your older home using readily available materials on your own and make it more comfortable for yourself and your family.

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