Frank Lloyd Wright Quote

"Form follows function-that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union"

Frank Lloyd Wright

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Spring Bronze Weatherstripping

Spring Bronze Weatherstripping
I decided to go old-school and install "spring bronze" ( PEM-P51B17 ) weatherstripping. If you've never heard of it you're not alone. The only place in town I could find it was Wink's Hardware (which, bye the way, you must check out if you live in Portland). It's basically a thin strip of bronze that you nail every 1-1/2" into the sash channels on the sides, top, and bottom.



Kitchen Window with Weatherstrip
After a little trial and error I found the best way to install it is to cut a piece to length, mark every 1-1/2" with a Sharpie, and then tack it in place using only the two end nails. Don't nail them in all the way at this point.

Decide at which end you're going to start and nail that one in all the way. Then start adding nails one at a time moving down the line. Since you only tacked the last nail in place, you can pull it out and re-position it if you start getting extra length in the strip as you add nails.

Before I installed the spring bronze my windows were sloppy and drafty. With the weatherstripping in place not only will it eliminate the draftiness, but the windows don't rattle when opened and they have a more finished feel to them.

You can get the nice, heavy gauge product from Pemko. This is what I used and recommend.

You can buy a cheaper, thinner version with pre-drilled holes from Amazon.

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9 comments:

  1. jakeJuly 21, 2007 at 9:12 AM

    Is this the same stripping that can be used for doors? Id never thought to use for windows. Clever!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 21, 2007 at 9:47 AM

    Looks great. Ties in with the look and the feel of the older windows.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 8, 2007 at 11:25 AM

    I was going to replace my wood windows in my old home but there is nothing wrong with them except 3 are missing the storm window and I do need those replaced but dont' know where to find them. They hang above the window frames on hooks. this copper weather stripping is in some of my current windows.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Joe J. ErnstAugust 8, 2007 at 12:44 PM

    I'm considering old-fashioned storm windows and/or screens too. I haven't researched it too much yet, but Vintage Woodworks looks promising.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2007 at 12:15 PM

    These guys have the same weatherstripping in 100' rolls.

    http://www.kilianhardware.com/sprinbronwea.html

    I plan to do several of the worst windows in my 1910 foursquare with it this fall.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jo MercerNovember 14, 2007 at 10:27 PM

    It's easier and faster to tack the weatherstripping to the side of the sash rather than to the jambs. And it helps reduce the porblem of snagging the corners of the strip when you open and close the sash, especially if you round off the corners of the strip with scissors.

    Keep up the good work! Old windows are well worth the effort. I have 3done and 14 to go in my 1925 bungalow.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousAugust 27, 2008 at 8:17 AM

    Hi, Joe:

    I really like the work that you've been doing on your home. Would you be interested in submitting some of your photography to Old House Journal Magazine? We're currently running an article on weatherstripping that your images would work well with. Please email me at ohjeditorialdepartment@homebuyerpubs.com if you're interested. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousOctober 22, 2012 at 12:08 PM

    What do the corners look like? How do you overlap the spring brozne, or do you overlap it?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Joe J. ErnstOctober 23, 2012 at 4:20 PM

    I do not overlap the pieces. The tops of the strips stop short of the pulleys, so they don't actually go all the way up to the corners.

    ReplyDelete

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