So, obviously we should have checked before but I think DH and I got so used to living in drafty, condemnable rental dumps that we forgot.
My 4 year old found water near our front window and, on inspection, we found that ALL the outside caulk around the windows is broken, cracked or just plain missing. Like some have 1/4" gaps. Obviously this should be fixed but the caulk we've found for the job has a warm temperature preference (above 40 or 50 F if I remember correctly) and it is winter here. And a very wet one (sideways rain and sleet, flooding, etc).
So far we've come up with a few options:
1. Gorilla tape until spring (suggested by a semi-crazy uncle)
2. That exterior window seal stuff (plastic sheet window insulation): reportedly worked overwinter in a much more extreme climate. Then caulk in spring.
3. Find some non-finicky caulk that we can use as a permanent solution despite the foul weather and likely-hood that we won't see 40 + F until spring. And then it is usually horrifically wet (I'm having trouble adjusting to water again after living a decade in a fairly arid environment). Possibly pair that with the window film to get the heat bill down. Suggestions?
Anyone with experience have advice? Preferably for an inexpensive fix as we are not flush with cash by any means.
We also have a door that the wind is blowing through the crack between the door and frame. It looks like the original seal (circa 1964). I assume we can replace the little rubber bit easily, even with the aforementioned horrid weather?
Our house temp is set at 65 which is too expensive, too warm in some spots and yet cold and drafty. It may be the humidity too? Our furnace (gas) is old, inefficient, and hums but the furnace guy says is otherwise in good shape. We can't afford to replace it. Hoping doing something with the windows will help.
