What's the best approach to diy caulking and weatherstripping all my windows before winter in a drafty Campbellton home?

Sealing your windows before a Campbellton winter is one of the highest-return DIY projects you can do — and with the Restigouche region regularly hitting -25°C to -30°C and significant snowfall, even small air gaps translate directly into heating bills and cold spots.

Start with a proper draft audit before you buy anything. On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick or a damp hand near window frames, sills, and the junction between the window unit and the wall. You can also use a flashlight from outside at night while a helper looks for light leaks from inside. This tells you exactly where to focus — some windows may only need caulking, others may need full weatherstripping replacement, and a few might be beyond saving with DIY methods alone.

Caulking the exterior and interior frames is your first line of defence. On the exterior, remove all old caulk completely using a utility knife and a caulk remover tool — applying new caulk over old is one of the most common mistakes and it fails within a season. For Campbellton's climate, use a 100% silicone or siliconized latex caulk rated for -40°C, not the cheap paintable acrylic stuff. Apply when temps are above 5°C — ideally a dry day in September or early October before the freeze-thaw cycles start hammering the Restigouche area. Smooth with a wet finger and let it cure fully before rain hits. On the interior, paintable latex caulk works fine along the window trim where it meets the drywall.

Weatherstripping is where most drafts actually live — the movable parts of the window (sashes, meeting rails, the gap between sash and frame). The right product depends on your window type:

• V-strip (tension seal) weatherstripping works excellently for double-hung and sliding windows — it's durable, nearly invisible, and handles repeated movement well
• Foam tape is the budget option for low-traffic windows but compresses and degrades within 2-3 seasons in NB's temperature swings
• Door sweeps and compression strips for casement windows that close against a stop

For older Campbellton homes — many of which are 1960s-1980s construction with original aluminum or wood-frame windows — check whether the weatherstripping channel is still intact. Aluminum windows from that era often have a replaceable rubber or pile gasket that presses into a groove; you can buy replacement pile weatherstrip by the roll at any hardware store and press it in without adhesive.

Rope caulk (removable) is worth knowing about for windows you don't open in winter. It's a grey putty-like product you press into gaps by hand, seals extremely well, and peels off cleanly in spring. Ideal for basement windows or any window you'll keep closed November through April.

Budget roughly $80–$150 in materials to do a full house — caulk gun, two or three tubes of silicone caulk, weatherstripping rolls, and rope caulk. The labour is a solid weekend project for an average-sized home.

One thing worth checking in northern NB: if your windows are fogged between the panes (failed IGU seal), no amount of caulking fixes that — the insulating value is already gone and you're looking at glass replacement or full window replacement. That's a job for a window contractor. Similarly, if the window frames themselves are rotted or the rough opening has air gaps behind the casing, you'll need to pull the trim and re-insulate with low-expansion spray foam — still DIY-doable but a bigger commitment.

Given that Campbellton sits in the heart of one of NB's colder inland valleys, if your windows are original single-pane or early double-pane from the 1980s, it may be worth getting a quote on replacement windows alongside your sealing project. NB Power's Total Home Energy Savings Program offers rebates on qualifying window upgrades — worth a call to NB Power before you invest in new units.

Find window and weatherproofing contractors serving the Campbellton area in the New Brunswick Construction Network directory if you decide any windows are beyond DIY repair.