If you own a home, it’s a sure bet that you have windows. We’ve put together a few repair tips for minor issues you might run into. Of course, you should probably leave major repairs and replacing to the professionals. But for small issues relating to windows – these easy tips might come in handy!
Rub out window scratches with toothpaste
Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto a soft cotton cloth and vigorously polish the scratch for a minute or two. Wipe off the excess with a damp rag and presto! The scratch is gone. Be sure to use plain, white paste – no gels or striped varieties. You can use an extra-whitening toothpaste; most have higher amounts of abrasive.
Stop cracks in their tracks with nail polish
You can buy yourself some time before replacing a cracked window by applying a couple of coats of clear nail polish to both sides of the crack. Once dry, the polish will seal any holes in the glass and contain the damage.
Plug a drafty window leak
That drafty window is guaranteed to suck out precious heath from your home and raise your fuel bills. What can you do if it’s wintertime and the caulk gun is all dried up? Simple. Once you’ve located the source of the draft (it’s often along the top of the lower sash or in a corner between the sash and window frame) take two paper towels, sandwich them together, and fold them up from the bottom an inch at a time until you have a thick padded strip. Lay the pad over the air leak and secure it on all sides with masking tape.
Fast fix for a major screen tear
A window screen is no match for a big dog’s big paws. If you can’t replace the screening material right away, make a temporary repair by attaching the loose screen to the frame with duct tape. First, clean the area with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. Let it dry, then attach two facing strips of tape to the edge of the torn screen, leaving some excess tape along the bottom. Press the strips together, and attache the excess to the inside of the frame with another piece of duct tape. Be sure not to leave any gaps that can allow mosquitoes and other insects to enter.