These days, consumers are keeping cars rather than turning them in every three years. The same thing goes for houses. It used to be that you could buy a house and sell it quickly if your family got bigger, you changed jobs, or you simply wanted a change. Now, however, it's harder to sell a house, cars cost more every year, and people have less confidence in job security. Enter rubber weather stripping, whether for automobile or home, as a chore you might face when taking care of what you have.
Especially in cold winter areas like Middletown, NY, keeping air, rain, or snow out of sealed spaces is important. In a home, leaky windows and doors are major energy drains. Drafts can make life miserable on windy days when you're trying to relax.
As for your car, you may never pay attention to the weatherstripping around the front and rear windshields or the side windows until it starts giving you trouble. If there's a whistling noise as you drive down the road, if the interior gets wet (or the stuff inside the trunk) when you go through the car wash, or if the sunroof lets rain drip on your head, you have a problem.
Although factory seals usually last for years, they can be degraded if your car sits outside in both heat and cold. If you get a new paint job, your car might look great but your sunroof might not work as well. Cleaning chemicals can damage the seals around doors and windows.
If you need to replace weatherstripping, you'll find lots of products to choose from. Rubber foam products are made for your home, coming in strips with adhesive on one side. All you have to do is press it into place around and under doors. Windows are more difficult; sometimes it's easiest to cover the entire window with a plastic film for the duration of the winter.
For your car, you order specific stripping just like any other car part. Even when ordering online, you'll need make and model information for your automobile. Even though this should get you the exact type you need, how-to sites advise closely comparing it with what is already on your car. Be certain they match before removing the old and installing the new.
When manufacturers advertise 'rubber' strips or foam, they're probably not talking about the rubber that comes from trees in South America. The more modern material has a mineral base rather than the carbon one that plant-derived materials have. Silicone rubber is supposed to be more durable, withstand high temperatures better, and be more chemical resistant than the old-fashioned kind.
There are how-to videos and sites online to tell you the best ways to install the seals you need. You'll need to be familiar with the types (like channel seals or bulb seals), the configuration, and the adhesive that works best for the new, as well as the correct solvent to remove old adhesive.
Especially in cold winter areas like Middletown, NY, keeping air, rain, or snow out of sealed spaces is important. In a home, leaky windows and doors are major energy drains. Drafts can make life miserable on windy days when you're trying to relax.
As for your car, you may never pay attention to the weatherstripping around the front and rear windshields or the side windows until it starts giving you trouble. If there's a whistling noise as you drive down the road, if the interior gets wet (or the stuff inside the trunk) when you go through the car wash, or if the sunroof lets rain drip on your head, you have a problem.
Although factory seals usually last for years, they can be degraded if your car sits outside in both heat and cold. If you get a new paint job, your car might look great but your sunroof might not work as well. Cleaning chemicals can damage the seals around doors and windows.
If you need to replace weatherstripping, you'll find lots of products to choose from. Rubber foam products are made for your home, coming in strips with adhesive on one side. All you have to do is press it into place around and under doors. Windows are more difficult; sometimes it's easiest to cover the entire window with a plastic film for the duration of the winter.
For your car, you order specific stripping just like any other car part. Even when ordering online, you'll need make and model information for your automobile. Even though this should get you the exact type you need, how-to sites advise closely comparing it with what is already on your car. Be certain they match before removing the old and installing the new.
When manufacturers advertise 'rubber' strips or foam, they're probably not talking about the rubber that comes from trees in South America. The more modern material has a mineral base rather than the carbon one that plant-derived materials have. Silicone rubber is supposed to be more durable, withstand high temperatures better, and be more chemical resistant than the old-fashioned kind.
There are how-to videos and sites online to tell you the best ways to install the seals you need. You'll need to be familiar with the types (like channel seals or bulb seals), the configuration, and the adhesive that works best for the new, as well as the correct solvent to remove old adhesive.
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