• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • ABOUT
    • CONTACT
    • Privacy Policy
  • PRESS
  • CATEGORIES
    • BEAUTY
    • FASHION
    • MOM LIFE
    • LIFESTYLE
    • GIFT GUIDES
    • RECIPES
    • TRAVEL
    • HEALTH & FITNESS
    • MENSWEAR
    • VIDEO
  • SHOP MY INSTAGRAM
    • GIFT GUIDES
  • TAHOE A-FRAME
  • ARCHIVE
  • DISCOUNT CODES

Just Add Glam

the San Francisco lifestyle blog by JENNIFER HENRY-NOVICH

January 11, 2019 / TAHOE A-FRAME

4 Tips On How To Winterize Windows

Whether you’re building a new home or planning to replace your existing windows, choosing the right windows for your home can be overwhelming when trying to decide between all the styles, materials, and features that are available these days. Since new windows are a major investment and are supposed to last you up to 20 years, doing some homework now, before you make a purchase can save you a lot of trouble later on.

It’s especially important to understand what you need to do to make sure your windows are winter ready. The last thing you want to worry about is leaks or damage when you’re trying to enjoy the first snowfall of the year. So, here are a few tips from our experience renovating The Tahoe A-Frame on how to winterize windows.

How To Winterize Windows featured by top US lifestyle blog Just Add Glam; Image of a woman playing in the snow.

 

HOW TO WINTERIZE WINDOWS:

CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL COUNTY BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND MAKE SURE YOU’RE BUYING THE RIGHT WINDOWS

Whether you’re building from the ground up or just making upgrades to your current home, you’ll need to have a building permit and get all the right building inspections to go along with your project. Each specialty trade, such as HVAC, electrical or plumbing, has it’s own specific building codes and associated permits. This gives you the permission required to build or make changes to your home.

When we set out on our A-Frame renovation, permits were not our first thought. Or even our second for that matter. But there’s a reason we list this first. We found out the hard way that skipping this crucial step, as cumbersome as it is, will cause you many more headaches after the fact. It’s very locale-specific, but the extent of requirements for windows (or ‘fenestration’ as they are called in the biz) can be lengthy! Even though we weren’t changing the layout of the windows, any ones we touched now had to be brought up to code.

Well, needless to say, the building codes have changed a bit since the early ’60s, when our A-Frame came to be. Invest the time upfront to plan and get the rules straight. You’ll be happy you did. Your local county website or building department will have resources available to find the information you need.

We found it very helpful to call or visit the building department along the way to discuss different parts of the project and confirm our understanding of our research. Not only does it help to build a relationship with the people who will eventually inspect and approve your project but the building codes can be complex and interlinked, so communication is key to a good understanding on both sides. It’s also a good idea to find an experienced contractor or installer that is familiar with local requirements.

Angie’s list has tons of great resources to learn more about these different permits and why you need them. Do some research on your county website about what you’ll need specifically for your home.

 

How To Winterize Windows featured by top US lifestyle blog Just Add Glam

 

CHOOSING WINDOWS IS CHALLENGING SO WE RECOMMEND WORKING WITH A MEMBER OF THE HOME DEPOT WINDOWS TEAM TO CONSULT FOR HELP

There’s no shame in asking for help! We can’t all be experts in windows, so it’s a great idea to consult someone who is! There’s so much more to ordering windows than just measuring and picking a color. There are many more detailed options for glazing, tempered glass, opening direction, egress, energy ratings, U-factor, etc. These details are important for the building code compliance and can vary based on the placement and use of the window.

Once you’ve prepared yourself with a plan for permit requirements, measurements, and style ideas, the people in the window department at Home Depot can help you decide between all of the options, materials, and features that will work best for your home. On one of our many visits, we checked out the window showroom to get a feel and look at some of our options. We liked the feel of the Milgard windows as they glided and operated easily.

After mulling it over, we called first to make contact with their window expert. We gave them the measurements and major details for our project and requested price quotes on a couple different materials. They were quick to provide a written quote and we set an appointment to discuss in person. Being prepared made it go a lot smoother to finalize our order and make sure all the details were correct and well thought out. Check out this helpful guide on the Home Depot website all about buying the perfect windows for your home.

 

How To Winterize Windows featured by top US lifestyle blog Just Add Glam; Image of a woman fixing window.

 

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP WHEN INSTALLING WINDOWS

Let’s face it, at some point in time, we’ve all tried a home improvement project that was probably better left to a professional. In this case, you don’t want to venture to do this on your own without having a helping hand who knows what to do. Hiring a professional (or using a friend who has done it before) will give you the peace of mind that the job was done right and will save you from a potentially costly mistake of having to redo everything down the road. 

We definitely wanted to be hands-on with our renovation, but we are first to admit that we don’t have the skillset to do it all ourselves.  We are working with a contractor that has been recommended by multiple friends of ours so feel like we have a pro on hand to cover tricky window installations (in addition to tons of other things–blog post coming soon!).  It’s great to have a contractor we can trust to bounce ideas off of, get knowledge about building codes, and ultimately partner with on this challenging journey.  It’s so worth it to have professional help!

How To Winterize Windows featured by top US lifestyle blog Just Add Glam

PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM AIR LEAKS USING LOCTITE WINDOWS AND DOORS FOAM

Now for the fun part! When learning how to winterize windows, this product is a must! Through strong winds, snow, ice or heavy rain, this foam provides a quick durable seal around your windows. It’s designed to not bow or warp window or door frames so you won’t damage anything!

Here are a few quick tips to keep it fun and easy. It’s easy to apply with the straw applicator but it can get messy. This stuff expands and sticks to anything it touches! So wear old clothes and gloves accordingly. Along those lines, mistakes will happen, so when the foam goes places you don’t want, resist the urge to wipe it!! You’ll just end up spreading it and making a worse mess.

Instead, let it harden and then cut or sand it off. Just make sure the foam is completely hardened and cured first, then use a serrated knife, utility knife, or sandpaper to remove the excess foam. If it requires some clean up before curing, acetone (nail polish remover) can be used to clean up the foam before it sets.

We had a lot of fun with this step and found a bunch of other uses around The Tahoe A-Frame while insulating and winterizing! So make sure you get a few more cans!

How To Winterize Windows featured by top US lifestyle blog Just Add Glam; Image of a woman playing in the snow.

Loving this how to winterize windows feature? Learn more about our Tahoe A-Frame and our renovation journey here!  Traveling to Lake Tahoe soon? Check out our Top 10 Things To Do in Lake Tahoe: a Complete Travel Guide!

Next Post
Previous Post

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Ewa Macherowska says

    January 13, 2019 at 6:41 am

    Great tips dear 😉

    http://www.evdaily.blogspot.com

    Reply
  2. darrell cooper says

    May 22, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Keep sparkling away

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

I think about this ALL. THE. TIME. ✨ I think about this ALL. THE. TIME. ✨
✨ Harrison Finnley Michaels 12/8/2019 ✨ Three ✨ Harrison Finnley Michaels 12/8/2019 ✨
Three months with this little guy and our worlds are rocked. He’s gone from just opening his eyes to rolling over, pushing himself up, grabbing at toys (and my phone as I type this out). He loves to laugh and talk in his baby language all day long 🤣 and sleeps all through the night 🙌🏼 How did we get so blessed with him?! @kmichaels216
Wedding Bells 💍 We are finally diving into some Wedding Bells 💍
We are finally diving into some wedding planning after our engagement last year and not going to lie, it’s overwhelming! We are super laid back and are looking for something small to celebrate. For me, this day isn’t about a big, fancy dress, or hundreds of guests to entertain. It’s about spending time with Kevin and I together committing our lives to one another. I was recommended to check out @shutterfly’s The Wedding Shop and mocked up an invite in this beautiful botanical print perfectly personalized to us and our style. Love our custom candle (smells so good!) and champagne flutes too! Check out my stories for more behind the scenes of unpacking our wedding items and some close ups! #MyShutterfly (ad)
CATCHING UP, what do you have going on this week? CATCHING UP, what do you have going on this week?
• This morning I had an eye exam to check my contacts / glasses Rx. I shared new glasses on Stories but turns out the Rx was wrong in them. I’m TRYING to wear my glasses more around the house and splurged on a pair from @ysl hoping that would help me do it 🤣🤓
• I haven’t been a big concealer wearer but I’ve been testing out the @urbandecaycosmetics naked concealer and have been liking how light it feels on my skin (I’m wearing it here, dress is new from @urbanoutfitters!)
• A work-related project this week—I’m trying to get my inbox of 700 emails down to zero. My problem is that I’ll get an email with some great piece of info in it and think “oh this is great! I can’t work on this right now but I’ll save for when I can” and I mark it unread. Well over time that has added up to 700 😬 I’m thinking of tackling it by sorting through and noting down whatever idea it is in my notebook (paper planner for LIFE! 📒) to reference it and have them all in one place. Maybe this will work!
• I’m currently sitting here watching this little baby sleep and the whole “I want to eat this baby” thing is SO REAL. What is it about babies where it makes us say that?!? He loves his @bibs_usa and @mushie_co!
• I’m considering cutting 3-4 inches from my hair....but here’s the kicker...I have this weird urge to DO IT MYSELF. Maybe I don’t want to put it off until I can get an appointment but I just want to cut it now. Please you guys, talk me out of doing this with scissors in the bathroom 🤣✂️
• Kevin and I have been binge watching @abcscandal and it’s SO ADDICTING. If you haven’t watched it, join us on Netflix but don’t blame me when you’re 2 episodes past your bedtime 😜 we are currently on season 4 of 7!
• WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THIS WEEK???
NEW MOM FASHION AND BEAUTY HACKS: 💁🏼‍♀️
1️⃣ Style your hair once ride that beautiful hair through the week with minimal effort. I use the @t3micro curling wand on day 1 fresh hair to put a little curl in it. On days 2-4 I use dry shampoo—my favorite is @livingproofinc to soak up oil, and then on days 5+ when dry shampoo doesn’t cut it anymore I throw on a cute beanie
2️⃣ Still trying to “bounce back” (whatever that means...) after baby? Same mama, same. @spanx leather-look leggings suck it all in and help as a postpartum support during healing. Win win!
3️⃣ Duster coats are the ONLY thing I want to wear. Not only do they keep you cozy as we wait for spring, but having pockets is NECESSARY for me. Phone in one, pacifier in another, and whatever other random things I need to bring with me when my arms are full with a baby
4️⃣ Lots of undereye concealer for that 8 hours of sleep look. @tartecosmetics shape tape is a favorite but I’ve been testing out @urbandecaycosmetics stay naked concealer and really like it for more natural coverage
MAMAS, WEIGH IN: What are you mom fashion and beauty hacks?! #newmomhacks
Our morning walk ritual ☺️ It’s still been a Our morning walk ritual ☺️
It’s still been a bit chilly out in the mornings but that doesn’t stop us from bundling up (in matching hats no less!) and going for a walk around our neighborhood. Baby carrying is a wonderful thing once you get the hang of it! I love how it gives you a bit of a workout with the added weight of a baby (Harrison is 11lbs now!) and gives them a chance to look around with a different view than the stroller. I can’t wait until he’s big enough to be front facing and then he can really look out at the world. I’ve been using the @nuna_usa @potterybarnkids CUDL carrier (this fabric is the broken arrow caviar) and my favorite feature are the magnetic clips that automatically snap into place to hold baby snugly. #lovemypbk

WHERE I SHOP

Amazon

ASOS

Target

Nordstrom

 

Take our Reader Survey

Categories

  • BEAUTY
  • BLOGGER TOOLS
  • FASHION
  • GIFT GUIDES
  • GLAM GIRLS COLLECTIVE
  • HOME
  • LIFESTYLE
  • MENSWEAR
  • MOM LIFE
  • RECIPES
  • TAHOE A-FRAME
  • TRAVEL
  • VIDEOS
  • WELLNESS

Archives

  • Email
  • YouTube

Shop my favorites

Copyright © 2021 · Just Add Glam · Designed by Bella Creative Studio