The Cold Corner

My first apartment had a living room window so drafty I kept a blanket folded on the sill. The heating bill was brutal, and no amount of cranking the thermostat fixed the cold corner. I could not replace the window, but I found four fixes that actually worked.

Find Where the Air Comes From

On a windy day, run your hand around the window frame and feel for the cold spots. The draft usually comes from the edges, not through the glass. Hold a lit candle near the frame and watch the flame. It points straight at the leak.

The Fixes That Work

Weather stripping tape is the first and cheapest fix. It goes along the inside edges where the window meets the frame, and it costs a few dollars a roll. Adhesive foam strips work on gaps you can actually see, like between the sash and the frame.

For the gap under the window, a draft stopper does the job. You can buy one or make it with a rolled towel. It blocks the air that pours in at floor level, which is exactly where you feel it.

For old windows, window film is the heavy artillery. It shrink wraps over the whole window with a hair dryer, creating a clear air pocket. It is invisible from across the room and stops almost all the draft. My heating bill dropped noticeably the first month I used it.

• Weather stripping tape for the edges
• Foam strips for visible gaps
• Draft stopper for the bottom
• Window film for the whole unit

One Thing Most People Skip

Check the lock. A window that does not close fully leaks air even with perfect stripping. Clean the tracks and make sure the window seats completely before you seal anything.

Total cost for my apartment window was under twenty dollars. The blanket came off the sill, the cold corner disappeared, and my thermostat finally stopped working overtime.