kind of a weird legume question

[NMDemDist2]

I need to do something with these old windows in my new house. they let dust in like mad and when the wind starts gusting some even whistle

since we blew our budget on a new shower and deck, I am thinking I need to make some "beanbags" to seal off the gaps until we can replace windows

it's gonna be a small diameter bag to fit (1" or so) so I'm thinking lentils? rice? something that may get wet and not swell like crazy. ideally I want to be able to wash the bean bags a few times a year

suggestions?

[TygrBright]

1. You're better off with lentils than rice...

...the teeny French kind. Rice WILL swell when it gets wet, quite substantially. Lentils will, too... ANY dried thing that's smaller when dry will. Suggestion: Put the filler in a sealed plastic bag before sewing it into the fabric sleeve.

As far as I know, most of the commercially-available "draft killers" are done with large-gauge sand or very small-gauge gravel. Or a synthetic analog thereof.

Another use for rice sewn into a fabric bag is as a hot/cold pad. I have a couple I keep in my freezer for headache application. Now and then when my bursitis acts up I pop one in the nuker and use it as a heat applicator.

creatively,
Bright

[Dora]

2. How about oilcloth?

You could use oilcloth, or a thin vinyl, and you could simply wipe them clean when they become dusty. Oilcloth should also prevent dust from getting inside the rice bag. You're not going to be using these as hot/cold packs, so flexibility or microwavability shouldn't be much of an issue.

You could even scent your stuffing with an essential oil for frangrance or to act as an insect repellent. Cedarwood oil would be good on both fronts.

:shrug:

[NMDemDist2]

3. great idea! and my new local fabric store has a lot of oil cloth to choose

from and stiffness is actually a plus

and the oil idea is a great one too!

[Dora]

5. A thought about essential oils...

I've never scented rice or lentils. There may be some tips on craftster.org about how-to. My instinct says it's probably best done by putting the grain in a sealable glass jar, adding the oil, and allowing it to rest for a day or two before using it as stuffing.

[Warpy]

4. Sand may work better

Door snakes are popular in old, leaky New England houses. They're genrally made of two layers of fabric sewn into a tube, thick and ugly fabric on the inside and decorative fabric on the outside. The sturdy fabric makes sure the sand doesn't leak out. The ends can be sewn shut (preferable) or tied shut (leaky).

I used them on double hung windows where there was a gap between upper and lower sash and they worked tolerably well. It was certainly better than nothing, turning a hurricane into a zephyr.

Although everything in the desert tends to dry out before it can grow bugs, beans will still attract cucarachas and perhaps ants, especially if they get damp. Since nothing eats sand, it's a much better choice for a filler. Plus it tends to stay where you put it.

[NMDemDist2]

6. now the question is, where do I get sand? at the hardware store?

hope it's cheap cuz I don't wanna spend much on it. Sand does solve a lot of ills though, it will stay put and it won't attract bugs or swell. the windows in this mobile are thin thin thin frames so it won't handle much width

I have a job interview at the local home improvement store today. they own their own window manufacturing section and employees get a discount........

:evilgrin:

[TygrBright]

9. Well. You will need sand (lots of it) for many things...

...that will come up outdoors. Paths, walkways, mixing with portland cement for patching this and that, laying pavers, mixing into soil to improve drainage, etc.

With that in mind, you CAN get it cheap in quantity. Got a truck? Head out to a landscape supply place and get a ton or so for about thirty bucks. Find a nice inconspicuous but convenient corner of the yard and dump it there. Put a tarp over it (about another eight bucks at the hardware store) until you use it. Weight the tarp with some of the many large rocks lying around everywhere in NM.

Voila. Cheap sand, mucho useful. Trust me on this. You WILL use it!

assertively,
Bright

[NMDemDist2]

10. my soil is mostly sand

trust me, drainage is not an issue out here :rofl:

but assertively said from you! wow :wow:

[TygrBright]

12. Well, thereya go, then! Cheap sand at hand....

Just rinse it off and dry it, right?

Up here we got adobe which is so NOT sand... wanna do a swap? Half of my backyard for half of yours? You get lovely adobe that sheds water like rubber and turns to brick when it rains and I get ::wistful sigh:: absorption and drainage.

One of us can rent a backhoe, the other can plump for a truck.

heheheheh...

improvisationally,
Bright

[japple]

7. What about foam pipe insulation? I think it's pretty cheap

and you can cut it to fit your window. You wouldn't have to worry about it getting wet.

[NMDemDist2]

8. they have foam pieces on it now and not only does it look horrible

it doesn't stay in place

at least with a sand bag, I can use coordinating fabric and clean it when the dust gets thick on it (which it will in the spring winds)

[mike_c]

11. don't use beans, rice, or anything like that if it will get wet...

...especially if it stays wet for any length of time. You'll just breed mold spores. Ugh. You need something that either will not absorb water at all, or if it's porous, something that has no nutritional value and won't support mold growth.

[Duer 157099]

13. Clean sandbox sand can be found at Toys R Us

But I was thinking: what about buckwheat hulls? The kind they use in the pillows? (I love those pillows! They stay cool, and give great support!)

I know you can buy the hulls in bulk on ebay.

[Duer 157099]

14. Doh, speaking of sand: cat box litter? n/t