LESLIE: Gerald in Montana has a window question. What can we do for you?
GERALD: We have some windows that we’d like to increase the energy on. These windows are made out of cherry. They’re beautiful woodwork which matches the rest of the building’s interior and a couple of rooms. They’re double-hung with sash cords and so forth and we don’t want to replace the wood.
TOM: OK.
GERALD: So can we do something else?
TOM: Well, storm windows would be your only option. Do you have them now?
GERALD: We have some aluminum storms that were put in in the ’50s and I don’t think they’re very efficient.
TOM: Yeah. Well, you know, the storm windows are a little bit better today than they were in the ’50s. You’re going to have to find a supplier for them. For an older house, there’s a website called OldHouseWeb.com. It has a supplier directory that’s got 20 or 25 different manufacturers that make storm windows listed on it. That’s probably a good place to start and call around and get a sense as to what’s available.
You can also improve your weatherstripping and things of that nature around the old windows but, truth be told, those windows are just not really energy-efficient and anything you do is going to be a matter of you trying a bunch of things to see what works best. But they’re not ever going to be really energy-efficient without putting a storm window on top of it.
GERALD: OK. Well, I’ll sure look into that.
TOM: Alright. Well, good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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