Insulation

Today's homes are required to be properly insulated to meet local building standards. Particular attention is aiso given to providing air-vapour barriers to the room side of the insulation. Even after satisfying the requirements and recommendations as modified by Canada's many eliminates, home location and design, local temperature variation and the type of heating system installed; no house is completely draft free. Under wind pressure the smallest opening permits some air infiltration.

Windows :

During cold weather it may appear there are drafts around windows even though they are adequately glazed, fitted and weather-stripped. With some possible exceptions such as extreme wind conditions, the draft felt may be due to vertical air movement over the face of the window - this is convection - warm air rising and cooler air dropping. Another common sensation is that of a draft experienced when sitting or standing close to a window. This chill may be due to heat radiating from your body to a relatively colder surface - the window.

Condensation and frost on windows (even those double-glazed) wili occur if high relative humidities are maintained inside the house during periods of very cold weather.

A silicone lubricant (available in aerosol cans) or petroleum jelly is recommended for use on weatherstripping and tracks of windows as a lubricant. If your windows are of the horizontal sliding type and that particular design includes weep holes to the outside (at the bottom of the track or frame) they must be kept clean to allow drainage. A piece of wire should regularly be used to remove dust, debris or insects, as part of the homeowner's maintenance program or when washing windows.

Do NOT paint where wood meets wood when a window is closed. The wood is treated at the factory with a clear wood preservative and made to fit properly at that stage. A build up of paint will cause the seal to be less effective and make it difficult to open or close the window.

Doors :

All doors, especially exterior doors, are exposed to a variety of climatic conditions (including inside humidity variations from summer to winter) and are subject to dimensional variations and warping. Exterior doors are naturally subjected to more extreme conditions. In winter they must withstand the differences of heat and moisture on the inside and cold dry air on the outside, and in summer this situation may be reversed or equalised. Doors tend to swell in summer and shrink in winter so do not be hasty in adjusting your door by planing or otherwise cutting as the condition will usually stabilise. With some types of wood doors, warping is to be expected; variations of up to 1/4 " out of plane in any direction of the door is considered normal.

If wall-to-wall carpet is installed, sufficient clearance must be left at the bottom of interior doors to permit proper return air circulation between rooms or from all rooms to a central return air duct if so designed. The cutting of some types of interior doors may prove difficult and should be done by a carpenter using the proper tools.