Weather stripping from scratch

Question

I've taken three photos and included them below (let me know if you need different photos). The first photo is the primary weatherstrip/seal on most of our windows. You can see one of these mounted on the top of the window in the second photo. The leaf just gets killed up here by the UV light and heat and doesn't last long (some of our windows get hit with intense sunlight and heat but we also get a fair amount of snow, etc.? quite variable conditions). Would love your thoughts on replacement options.

The third photo is of a typical gap between the side of our windows and the frame. It looks like the former owner of our home jammed some vinyl into the kerf, but you'll see that it waves back and forth and looks really cruddy (suspect the leaf strip didn't work there because of the size of the gap); no idea whether it's effective or not. As we replace our strip/seal, I'd value your thoughts as to what we should be doing for efficiency and cost-effectiveness, rather than just mindlessly replacing what's there. The windows get hit with intense sun, rain, and snow. Thanks.

The barbed extension on the stripping is about 5/16" deep. The bubble is about 5/16" high, as well.

Tom · Accepted Answer

Thanks for contacting us. We don't have a type of weatherstripping exactly like this, especially for windows, but you may be able to get our 58-055 to work. Look it over and let me know what you think. You can also order a sample of it here if you wish.

As for defense against the elements, there's only so much you can do. Being exposed to the weather is precisely the function of this material, so there's not a lot you can do to lessen the impact. The 58-055 specifically is designed with a UV stabilized thermoplastic material, but that's about the most you can expect from this kind of seal. It's going to wear out over the course of years, sometimes faster depending on how harsh the environment is or even if the window in question is simply facing the rising sun. In addition to that, most manufacturers aren't interested in producing different grades of the same weatherstripping. For example, there isn't a "stronger" or more durable version of the 58-055. They pretty much just make that and call it a day.