This is a hammer: Dodging a draft

Q: The apartment I’m living in has older windows, and now that winter is almost here, the cold air is seeping in easily. My landlord said he “winterized” the windows by painting them shut. I don’t think that’s a solution. Any tips for me to quickly shut out the draft and get those windows open? — Chilly Nose in Brattleboro, Vt.

A: There are better solutions out there, for sure, than painting over drafty spots in the windows. And having windows that are stuck shut is a clear safety issue. Since your landlord isn’t in a hurry to fix or replace those leaky windows, you have some options to get through this winter comfortably and without having to spend too much money on heating.

First, unstick those windows. Use a box cutter to slice through the new paint down to the corners where the window sash meets the frame. Then gently wiggle the window open so the new paint isn’t damaged or torn away.

Once the window is open, make sure it slides open and shut smoothly. If not, look for paint or other gunk on the slide tracks in which the sash is set. Sand this stuff away and then smooth the tracks by running a bar of soap along them a few times.

Next, see if the screen outside the window (if there is one) is part of a storm window-screen combination. If so, you can slide the screen up to sit behind the top pane of the storm window, and slide the bottom storm window down. This provides added protection against wind and weather. Now, you’ll need to weather-strip the window.

Measure the width and height of each window to figure out how much weather stripping you’ll need. For a rental unit, you shouldn’t invest in the most expensive weather stripping, either. Compressible strips, usually made of foam or another flexible material, with adhesive backing usually work well and are easy to install.

Measure and cut the stripping to fit along the bottom of the window sash. Make sure it fits and that the window closes completely and can be locked before attaching it by its adhesive backing. You may need to weather-strip other parts of the window, depending on their type, age and the condition they’re in. Make sure the strips don’t interfere with easy operation of the window.

If you have a door that leads outside, try adding a piece of weather stripping along the base of the door to keep out drafts.

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