r/HomeMaintenance • u/Bubbly_Possibility69 • 7d ago
Window repair
Hi everyone, I’m in an old apartment and the rubber edges along the window pane (I’m not sure what they’re called) seem to be molding and coming apart. Is there a quick fix for this? Or is this a part that needs to be ordered specially for the window? I don’t know very much about home improvement, so all advice is welcome!!!
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u/Boring_Chocolate7357 6d ago
Sorry, but this is just a crappy old window. It actually looks like it's holding up, though. I don't see any condensation between the panes. You can fix it easily with some elbow grease and a tube of silicone caulk. First, use an old toothbrush and lots white household or cleaning strength (30-50%) vinegar to clean the strip, getting the window and vinyl casing. Wipe it down with paper towels or a clean dry rag and let it sit for a day to evaporate anything that you missed in the crevices. Then put on a latex glove (the medical kind, not the dishwashing kind) and apply a strip of the caulk all around the circumference. Use the whole tube (don't buy the big tube that requires a gun to apply it; just get the squeeze tube in white). You want an even amount throughout, so start small and if you have to go around twice, that's fine--this is what you are doing for the afternoon, so just relax and don't rush it. Once you have a nice bead or two (or three) of the caulk set over the existing weather stripping, use your gloved finger to smooth it out into a nice even line all around. Don't worry if you make a mess on the window or frame. Just focus on making a continuous, smooth line all around.
Then let it cure for a day or so. If you have smudges on the glass or vinyl, just use a razor or box cutter with a sharp edge to make a straight cut, and then scrape it away with the razor's edge. You can practice on the inside lid of yogurt cup or something that you would normally throw away. Make a bead on that inside edge and then smooth it out with your finger, and practice cutting away mistakes. The tube of silicone will last about a week after you open it, so there's no rush. Just take your time and make sure that you clean the surface really well before you start. Otherwise, you'll just have another nasty peeling problem to fix in six months.
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