mused76

I have basement windows that are rather old and have spaces between them and the cement brick wall. The window can open and shut - and are locked from the inside. I rarely if ever need to open the windows and was thinking about caulking them. I heard of rope caulking and I'm unsure if this is proper for this job or not and if it was able to be removed as needed after winter? I did put plastic over the windows last year and it appeared to have some soothing effect on my heating bill.

mused76

any takers - any help? please? going once.. going twice.. ?

Pip

I thought rope caulking was something you only did on old sailing ships, but I guess it could work. Strips of cloth might be easier to remove though. I take it the spaces are between the window and the window frame, so if you stuff it full of rope you can't open the windows? There are soft rubber tubes that you can glue to the frame, when the window is closed the tube fills out the spaces, but it compresses enough to open the window. You probably have something similar on the fridge door.
Or make some old fashioned window shutters.

kazoo

It sounded from the OP as though there is a gap between the window frame and the cementitious wall assembly-that's how I read it. I'd use low expansion foam to fill and insulate that gap, finishing with a premium silicone sealant. An alternative to the low-ex foam is a stuff called backer rod. It is a circular foam strip available in different diameters, and is stuffed into building cracks with a broadknife prior to caulking so you don't need 22 gallons of caulk. Rope caulking or non-hardening putty is available under the trade name 'Mortite' and comes in gray and brown. It's similar in consistency to oakum, the product used in shipbuilding.

__________________
There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

tropple

There's some stuff called WindJammer that you can squirt in from a can and then easily remove later when it is not needed. The shit smells like airplane glue for about an hour, but after that, it's semi-hard and tack free. I think it is a Dap product. Homely Depot carries it.

__________________
+++++++++++Boom!

kulrblind

What about the plastic vapour barriers they sell for wooden-silled windows? Would that stick to the concrete around the outside?
Heck, it would only cost you $2 to buy one and test it out.

Let us know what you decide on, and give us your review of the solution.

mused76

I ended up using the foam strips as suggested here on the forum. The crack's were big enough to fit the foam pieces in place once jammed with a knife. I might look into the Windjammer product as suggested by someone else on the board here as well - I'll have to check it out at Home Depot at least. I still have a few more windows to do some testing on. Good news though.. my monthly budget for my gas bill decreased by 10 from last year - amazing. I thought the prices were going up and I prepared for the worse.. sounds like a Geico commerical. Later folks. Thanks for the help.