Thinking about sealing up my drafty windows myself, but torn between those peel-and-stick caulk strips and the traditional silicone tube method. I've heard mixed things...anyone tried both and got a preference? Curious what's easier and lasts longer.
I've tried both methods at different times, and honestly, silicone from the tube has held up better for me in the long run. Those peel-and-stick strips are tempting because they're quick and easy, but I found they tend to lose their grip after a season or two—especially if your windows get a lot of sun exposure or temperature swings. Silicone definitely takes more patience and can be messy if you're not careful (I've had my share of cleanup headaches), but once it's set, it seems to handle weather and drafts way better.
One trick that helped me was using painter's tape around the edges before applying silicone—makes cleanup way easier and gives you cleaner lines. If you're looking for something quick just for this winter, the strips might be okay temporarily...but if you don't want to redo it every year or two, I'd lean toward silicone. Curious to hear if anyone else had better luck with those strips though, maybe I just got unlucky?
You're definitely onto something with the silicone—it's a bit messier upfront, but the durability pays off big-time. I've seen plenty of those peel-and-stick strips fail prematurely, especially in areas with harsh sun or big temp swings. Your painter's tape trick is spot-on too; makes cleanup way less of a headache. Don't think you got unlucky with the strips...they're just not built for the long haul. Silicone's worth the extra effort if you're after a lasting seal.
Yeah silicone's usually my go-to as well, but honestly I've had a couple spots where even silicone didn't hold up perfectly. Could've been my prep work though...but those peel-and-stick strips? Forget it, they're basically glorified stickers.
Yeah, silicone usually does the trick for me too, but have you tried polyurethane caulk? Bit messier to work with, but I've found it holds up better in tricky spots...maybe worth a shot next time?
I've tried the polyurethane caulk too, and agree it's pretty durable—especially if you're dealing with uneven gaps or older frames. Silicone's easier to handle neatly, but poly definitely sticks better long-term in my experience, despite the mess.
Used poly on a client's old Victorian last summer—frames were warped, gaps uneven, a real headache. Silicone would've been cleaner, sure, but poly held up way better through winter storms and temp swings. Messy as heck though... spent more time cleaning my hands than sealing windows. If you're tackling older homes or tricky gaps, poly's worth the hassle. For straightforward jobs, silicone's probably fine.
I've done a fair bit of sealing around my place, and honestly, caulk strips are handy if you're in a hurry or dealing with neat, straight edges. Just peel, stick, and you're done. But for anything uneven or older—like your Victorian—I'd steer clear.
"frames were warped, gaps uneven, a real headache."
Exactly this. Silicone tubes give you way more flexibility to fill those weird gaps. Just keep a damp rag handy to smooth it out as you go, saves a ton of cleanup later... learned that the hard way myself.
Yeah, silicone's definitely the way to go with older houses. One small tip—if you're dealing with really wide or uneven gaps, shove some foam backer rod in there first. It'll give you a solid base for the silicone to grab onto and keep it from sagging into deep voids. Learned that trick after wasting too many tubes trying to fill monster gaps without anything behind them...
Good tip on the backer rod—I learned that one the hard way too. Another thing I've found helpful is tooling the silicone with a bit of soapy water on your finger. Keeps it smooth and stops it from sticking everywhere...especially handy on uneven surfaces.