How To Insulate Windows To Save Money On Utility Costs
What is the best way to block off the cold air and finally be able to walk without putting on four pairs of trousers in your apartment? You are simply asking – how to insulate your windows?
The short answer is to apply insulation film, set up removable magnetic window insulation, and other methods to block off the cold while retaining the room temperature.
Insulation of windows is only a simple and cost-friendly project that can bring in many benefits for your comfort level as well as your monthly bill for energy. It is usually not so important whether you have good heating, but whether your windows are properly insulated.
If you want to keep the heat of your home, you need to insulate your household’s window immediately after the colder months arrive. The outcome of that small and usually cheaper effort will be immediately felt.
Want to know how to insulate your window? Let’s discuss the available options.
What is the Right Time to insulate your Windows?
Normally, you should insulate your windows before the arrival of the cold weather. On the contrary, since it is hard to determine the condition of windows’ insulating abilities when the interior and exterior temperatures are almost the same, you may wish to hold on till it is time to begin cycling on the air conditioner or heat. The majority of these window insulating steps are cheaper.
Caulking, shrink-fit window film insulation, weather-stripping, as well as spray foam, are so cheap that you can gain back their costs in energy savings in just a season or two. Of the entire steps, the costliest is the installation of energy-efficient window treatment; they cost roughly 25 percent over the regular, non-thermal window curtains.
7 Ways to insulate the Windows from your Apartment
Even as the insulation cannot convert a bad window into a better performance window, it can make so much difference to help you through one or two seasons. Modern, high-quality windows may only need insulating draperies, but possibly not the insulating steps are given below.
Things you’ll need
Equipment/tools
- Paint scraper
- Paint stirrer
- Caulk gun
- Sewing machine Needle and thread or (optional)
- Screwdriver (optional)
- Putty knife
- Thermal curtains
- The draft stopper or draft snake
Materials
- Window film insulation kit
- Caulk
- Weatherstripping
- Spray foam
- Filler for draft stopper (optional)
- Socks or fabric (optional)
1. Apply window insulation film
Window film forms an insulating blockade between the inside of your apartment as well as your windows. Kits often include plastic shrink film that you paste on the indoor frame of the window with the use of double-sided adhesive tape. Acting a lot like the krypton gas or argon that accommodates the space between double-glazed window panes, the old air space formed between the film and the window blocks air as well as thermal infiltration. Just heat the film using a hairdryer to shrink it and get rid of wrinkles.
Tip: Window film insulation is not the same as reflective window film. The reflective film adheres straight to the glass while window film insulation needs to stay far from the glass.
2. Set up removable magnetic window insulation
If you want to sometimes open your windows in the winter, your ideal solution is to install removable magnetic window insulation. Magnets can accommodate the insulating vinyl in position so you keep the insulation in position during the cold and leave it off when there is no cold. See how it works here:
- Apply many coats of magnetic paint to the trim of the window
- Measure and cut the vinyl to the size of your window
- Fix magnetic tape to the vinyl
- The magnetic tape will keep the vinyl held to the magnetic paint and still be easily removed.
3. Caulk around cracks and gaps
Pick the deal caulk for the internal and external parts of your windows for top insulation. Avoid caulking on the tiny round or rectangular weep holes on the exterior that are working as drainage. You will likely apply about half of a cartridge of caulk for a side of a double-hung window. Remove all old and cracked caulk using a putty knife or screwdriver. Ensure the area is perfectly dry before caulking.
At angle 450, cut off the caulk tube from the tip, dip the tube inside the caulk gun, and pull the trigger to paste the material into the crack. Avoid caulking in starts and stops, but in one motion; this forms a neat, continuous ring of insulation. If you noticed that the caulk is spilling out of the crack, push it back in with a putty knife. Let the caulk cure for 24 hours.
Tip: If this is your first time with caulking, repeat the method on a paper towel before you insulate your windows. This will help you create the pulling motion required to apply the caulk into the crack as it leaves the tube.
4. Use bubble wrap to cover your windows
It may appear unattractive, but bubble wrap is a perfect way to insulate the windows in your apartment. Just spray a mist of water on your clean window’s interior, and hold the bubble surface of the bubble wrap to the misted window. Sealing boundaries with tape may also help keep the heat in but can affect paint when removed.
5. Use thermal curtains on your windows
Thermal curtains contain a special lining that keeps warm air inside in winter and prevents heat during the summer. Thermal curtains also keep light and noise away. Ensure your curtains completely cover your windows so they insulate your apartment windows effectively for winter.
6. Rubber weather sealing
Visit the local store and purchase self-sticky weather sealing strips and then cut them to the same size as your windows. Then, seal off the strips towards the inner corners of the frame. It is a cheap and fast option to insulate your home’s window. Remember that it is essential to replace the strips regularly. You may notice a colored residue when you try to remove old strips. This won’t be a problem if you have it in a plan to apply new ones immediately. Else, you may need to paint the spot.
7. Windows insulation panels
The use of insulation panels is one of the brilliant options. It will be sufficient to install the aluminum frame to the internal side of the windows you currently have in your home. These frames come with a type of weather-stripping at the boundary that is capable of sealing the windows. You can complete the whole job by yourself since instructions and the entire important components for insulation are contained in a panel kit.
More Simple Tips for Increasing the Energy Efficiency of your Home
There are many other ways to add to the energy efficiency of your household than only insulating the windows. Below are 8 simple ways to add to your home’s energy efficiency.
- Buy Energy Star Appliances: Replacing the regular appliances with Energy Star certified appliances will help save money in the future by cutting your total energy consumption and increasing your savings.
- Set up smart thermostats: Smart thermostats adjust the temperature setting of your home automatically to improve the comfort within your home and your utility bills.
- Use LED lightbulbs: LED lightbulbs will not only improve the brightness of your home, but they also generally last longer than regular lightbulbs. The Department of Energy mentioned that LEDs consume just 20% to 25% of the energy and can last for 15 to 25 times longer than conventional incandescent lightbulbs.
- Place rugs on the floor: Putting rugs on the floor will improve the layer of insulation in your home, keeping air from leaking in via the floorboards. Rugs keep your household warm and toasty during the winter – which implies that you won’t have to run HVAC so much to keep your home heated.
- Regularly replace air filters: We suggest that you use a fresh filter to replace air filters every thirty (30) days. This will ensure the efficient running of your HVAC, thus reducing your energy bulls (and also improve your air quality).
- Switch off the lights when you are not in the room: Turning off the lights when you leave the room is one of the simplest ways to save energy. This easy act could save you hundreds of dollars per annum in electrical bills.
- Ensure proper insulation of your attic: Ensure there is proper insulation of your attic to prevent any potential air leaks. We suggest you hire a professional to check your options, as there are several types of insulation to pick from.
- Cook more efficiently: Many ways to cook more efficiently and save energy include making sure your pots and pans are used on the right size burner, going for a convection oven instead of a regular one, and covering your pots to cook food faster.
Conclusion
Relocating into an old home with poor window insulation can be difficult. Luckily, the extensive network of reliable and trusted movers on imoving.com makes the task of finding the best local moving company to take care of your job very simple. By selecting a mover from imoving.com, you can be certain that you are in the best hands. Immediately you’ve moved to the new space, you can take care of your window insulation job.
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