Why does the change in the weather cause my windows to stick?

When windows won't open, and the salt clogs the shaker,

The weather will favour the umbrella maker!

(wikipedia)

Lets face it Auckland and New Zealand is a pretty damp place.

The changing of the seasons for me is always highlighted by the way my home moves and that crack in the plasterwork above my lounge window disappears for the summer.

Moisture in the air causes wood to swell, making doors and windows sticky,

Most of us Kiwi's still have timber joinery so you will know what I'm talking about.

For instance my back door that has been jamming all winter long, now has plenty of room to close and even has a slight draft blowing through the gaps!

I have discovered some awesome products from Raven lately that can be installed onto timber joinery.

The most useful product in their range is called an RP7 draft strip.

Now I'm not talking about a piece of foam tape here, all that does is add to the sticky window problem.

The RP7 is a strip of aluminium with a small rubber stopper that can be fastened around the window or door jamb. If  installed with care it will sit snugly against the door and window frame when closed giving an airtight seal. The added advantage is that if you stop the wind blowing in the water wont follow saving you from any leak repairs in the future.

It is said that if you add up all the small gaps in the average kiwi house you end up with a whole square metre in total!

No wonder my power bill is so high.

If you are considering sorting this out yourself Bunnings stock a front door kit that can be easily installed.

Now that I have my windows and doors sorted my next post will be on cost effective ways to keeping your home warm and dry.