I get where you’re coming from with the backer rod and caulk—definitely easier to undo if you ever need to pull a window. But I’ll be honest, in the desert, I’d still lean toward spray foam, at least for the worst gaps. Dust storms don’t mess around. Yeah, it’s a pain if you have to replace the window later, but sometimes you’ve gotta pick your battles. I’ve seen caulk dry out and crack in that kind of heat, especially on south-facing windows. Nothing’s perfect, but sometimes you just gotta go with what’ll hold up the longest.
That’s a good point about the caulk cracking. I actually tried the backer rod + caulk combo on my first window (north side, so not as much sun), and it looked fine at first, but after one summer, it started to look kinda sad. The caulk got all brittle and I could see daylight peeking through in spots. Guess the desert heat just eats that stuff up.
I’d still lean toward spray foam, at least for the worst gaps. Dust storms don’t mess around.
I get nervous about spray foam because I’ve heard horror stories about having to replace windows later and it being a nightmare to get all that stuff out. But honestly, after cleaning up dust every week for months, I see why people use it. The wind here finds every tiny crack... and then some.
If I had to do it again, I’d probably use spray foam for the big gaps and maybe try a higher-end, UV-resistant caulk for smaller ones. Not perfect, but maybe less of a hassle if you ever have to pull the window down the road. Desert living is wild—nothing really holds up forever out here.
The wind here finds every tiny crack... and then some.
Ain’t that the truth. I tried to save a few bucks with regular caulk on my patio door, and after one good dust storm it was like I hadn’t sealed it at all. Ended up using spray foam for the worst spots, even though I know it’s a pain if you ever need to redo things. Desert just eats up anything that’s not heavy-duty. If I had to do it again, I’d probably just budget for the messier removal later and enjoy a little less dust now.
I hear you on that—dust storms will find every weakness, no matter how well you think you’ve sealed things up. I’ve seen folks try to get by with regular caulk, and nine times out of ten it just doesn’t hold up out here. Spray foam is a hassle if you ever want to redo it, but honestly, sometimes you have to pick your battles. I’d rather wrestle with removing old foam than sweep up piles of grit every week.
One thing I wonder, though: have you tried any of those weatherstripping kits? I’m a bit skeptical about how long they last in the heat, but I’ve had a couple clients swear by the heavy-duty silicone strips. They’re not perfect, but they might buy you a little more time before you have to go full-on spray foam again.
At the end of the day, it’s always a trade-off between convenience now and headaches later. The desert really doesn’t care about your budget or your time... it just keeps testing whatever you throw at it.
The desert really doesn’t care about your budget or your time... it just keeps testing whatever you throw at it.
- “The desert really doesn’t care about your budget or your time... it just keeps testing whatever you throw at it.” — ain’t that the truth. I swear, my place is like a sandcastle half the year.
- Tried those silicone weatherstrips last summer. They did okay for about 6 months, then started peeling where the sun hits hardest. Still, less sweeping for a while, so maybe worth it if you’re not looking for a forever fix.
- Regular caulk? Don’t bother. It turns to dust faster than the wind can blow it in.
- Spray foam is a pain to remove, but I’ll take that mess over finding silt in my coffee mug every morning.
- If you go with weatherstripping, get the thickest stuff you can find and double up on the windward side of the house. Learned that one the hard way when half of it blew off during a storm.
- Honestly, sometimes I just surrender and keep a broom at every door. The desert’s stubborn—I just try to be more stubborn.
I’ve seen a lot of folks get frustrated with weatherproofing out here. UV exposure just destroys most off-the-shelf products pretty fast. If you’re dealing with constant sand intrusion, you might want to consider aluminum threshold plates and commercial-grade door sweeps—costs more up front, but they last longer in extreme sun and wind. I’ve replaced so many cheap seals for clients after just one season. For windows, exterior-grade silicone caulk (labeled for high-temp and UV) holds up better than standard stuff, though nothing’s totally permanent. The desert’s relentless, but a little overbuilding goes a long way.
I hear you on the cheap seals not lasting—I went through two sets of “weatherproof” foam strips before I gave up and started looking at more industrial options. Anyone else notice that even the “UV resistant” labels are kind of wishful thinking out here? My back door faces west and it’s like the sun’s got a personal grudge.
I’m curious about the aluminum threshold plates—do you notice any extra heat transfer with metal right at the door? I’ve always worried it’d just turn into a frying pan in the summer, but maybe that’s just me overthinking it. And for the commercial sweeps, do you end up with a lot of drag on tile floors or is it pretty smooth?
On the caulk front, I tried a “high-temp” silicone last winter and it’s held up surprisingly well. Still, I swear I can see tiny cracks starting after six months. Maybe that’s just the nature of things out here, but it gets a little frustrating spending the time to reseal every year. Anyone found a specific brand that actually lives up to its claims?
One thing I haven’t figured out yet: how do you keep sand from piling up against sliding doors? I’ve tried those fabric draft stoppers, but they just end up full of grit and need constant cleaning. Starting to think I need to just accept sand as a roommate.
Anyway, overbuilding definitely seems to be the way to go—my neighbor calls it “desert-proofing” and he’s not wrong. Still, sometimes it feels like a losing battle, especially when a dust storm rolls through and undoes all your hard work in an afternoon...
“Anyway, overbuilding definitely seems to be the way to go—my neighbor calls it ‘desert-proofing’ and he’s not wrong.”
That’s the truth—out here, you either overbuild or you’re just patching stuff every few months. On the aluminum threshold thing, I’ve installed a few and honestly, yeah, they get hot to the touch, but I haven’t seen them actually transfer enough heat to affect inside temps. The bigger pain is if you’re barefoot, you’ll notice it. For commercial sweeps, the drag depends on the type—brush style is smoother on tile, but the vinyl ones can stick a bit, especially if there’s any grit.
As for caulk, I keep coming back to GE Silicone II. It’s not perfect, but it seems to hold up a bit longer before cracking. Still, nothing’s immune out here—UV just eats everything eventually.
Sand at the sliding doors? I’ve tried everything short of building a moat. At this point, I just vacuum more often and call it character...
Yeah, the sand is relentless. I tried those fancy double sweeps on the sliding door, thinking it’d be the magic fix, but nope—still get little dunes forming every week. As for caulk, I’ve bounced between GE Silicone II and DAP, but honestly, it’s just picking which one fails slightly slower. And the aluminum threshold? Stepping on that barefoot in July is basically a dare. I just keep a pair of flip-flops by the door now... learned that lesson the hard way.
I get what you’re saying about the double sweeps not living up to the hype, but I actually had a bit more luck after switching to a brush-style draft stopper—those silicone or rubber ones just seem to warp or get brittle in this heat. The brush kind doesn’t seal 100%, but it lets less sand through and doesn’t stick as much when the door expands in the afternoon sun. Not a perfect fix, but it slowed down the mini-dune problem for me.
On caulk, I’m with you—neither GE nor DAP holds up for long once the temps start hitting triple digits. I tried SikaFlex last year (the polyurethane stuff), and it’s still hanging on, surprisingly. It’s a pain to work with, though, and cleanup is a nightmare.
That threshold is brutal in summer. I ended up sticking those cheap peel-and-stick wood-look vinyl planks over mine—not pretty, but way less foot-scorching. Flip-flops are still mandatory, though... learned that one after a sprint to chase my dog outside.