how should i seal my basement windows

[Guest]

Hello my basement is unfinished and it is cement/concrete or a similar material. There are a couple standard small basement windows that aren't very securely sealed. I want to know what some options are for sealing them.

Since the basement is mostly concrete there isn't a complete wooden frame around each window, so I can't board them up. I could but it wouldn't be 100% secure. And building a frame for the windows wouldn't be easy because I wouldn't know how to secure wood to concrete, if it's possible to secure wood to concrete please explain how.

I was thinking about using concrete or bricks to seal the windows.

Does anyone have any ideas?

If using concrete or bricks is possible and reasonable I'd like more information on it, estimated price, how hard it'd be, where to go (lowes, homedepot?). I don't have any heavy duty equipment, so if there's a product I could buy like pre-made bricks, and some sort of sealant mix to seal the bricks together that'd be perfect. The bricks also need to be sealed to the existing concrete floor.

Thanks everyone, much appreciated

 

[Johnny Rotten]

2x4 completely around windows secured with tapcons. Cover with plywood. Seal with caulking. Done.

 

[Banjoboy]

Tapcons are a special screw or concrete. You can get them at home dpot. You will also need the correct size massonry drill bit (should be next to the tapcons) for drilling concrete or cinder block. Not to hard to do. You don't even need to build the 2x4 frame, just screw the ply wright to the wall.

BB

 

[Guest]

thick plastic and a can of spray adhesive

 

[Johnny Rotten]

I was thinking plywood strait to the wall but it may be harder to get it lightproof as block walls are hardly strait. If you do the 2x4 you can make sure its lightproof and the plywood will have a flat surface to screw to.

 

[Guest]

Do i need a special drill or will a standard regular drill i use for word working work for the tapcon/massonry drill bit

 

[Guest]

no special drill required

 

[sticky icky]

you can also just make a small frame and attach it to the ceiling you know the wood beams supporting your house from the basement using wood screws. its not a supporting wall so you don't need much and when your done they come out easy. Instead of drilling holes in your concrete or brick. If your going to do that just rent a gun for 20 bucks from a tool rental place and just use anchors. quicker easier better and cheaper. they just use 22 primers put anchor where you want to attach frame to the floor and give it a go good luck SI

 

[Johnny Rotten]

Dude....Sticky, I'm not really trying to argue but that is a WAY harder way to do that. Power Hammers will blow the FUCK out of concrete, especially older hardened concrete. Besides, there a bitch to remove and if you didn't blow the fuck out of your floor already you sure as hell will ripping it up. 3/16 in. holes are much easier to fix with a little bit of concrete patch plus there screws so they'll back right out.
Plus, have fun trying to light proof it. At least with the 2x4's you could get the frame up and caulk it from the inside and at least have a chance of testing light leaks. Then just run a coupe full beads of caulk around the outside of the 2x4 and you can almost be sure of no light leaks.
Remember, this guy is obviously not a construction dude. KISS.

 

[Guest]

I dont trust just using the support/floor beams... I'd rather do the tapcon thing, seems easy and inexpensive enough, Thanks for your input though

 

[Banjoboy]

no special drill required

Yes you do need a special drill bit to drill concrete or block wall or tapcon screws. Thay are sold right next to the tapcons at the hardware store.

BB
I like the spray glue and plastic idea. It may need to be reglued once in a while to keep it stuck. Check out 3M spray glues they make many types of spray glue or mny applications