Energy Saving Window Film: Has anybody used this?
Hello, I have over a dozen drafty windows in my old house. Single pane all of them. The worst are two big casement windows in the front which on a quiet night I can almost hear the wind whistle through the edges. Since I don’t have the money to replace them I was thinking to…
Hello, I have over a dozen drafty windows in my old house. Single pane all of them. The worst are two big casement windows in the front which on a quiet night I can almost hear the wind whistle through the edges. Since I don’t have the money to replace them I was thinking to try using window film. Can anyone recommend a particularly good brand as there seem to be many different types and companies making them? Are the exterior ones better then the interior ones that have to be shrunk? Thanks.
We have relatively new mahogany windows in our rear parlor dating to our renovation 10 yrs ago. They look beautiful and are double-paned. But sadly they are very drafty. We’re considering buying vinyl interior glass storms from a firm called Innerglass (stormwindows.com). Believe me, I don’t love the idea of vinyl but it’s only seasonal so I guess I can accomodate myself for the sake of comfort!
I second the recommendation for the gray rope caulk, in addition to the film. super simple to stick in place and inexpensive, and easy to remove. great for filling gaps in windows without weatherstripping.
the trickier but longer-term solution is old fashioned weather stripping. there are several kinds, but spring bronze weather stripping works well for casements.
I doubt you are talking about film that attaches directly to the glass itself. I think you are talking about the sheets that attach around the entire window frame with double stick tape and then hair dry until they are clear. Those are great. I grew up in a room so cold I could see my breath in the morning. Once I put up that film I was never cold again. Do not put the tape inside the window frame – use the face of the window molding so that the entire plastic sheet is flat and there is no 90 degree angle to the tape. It will hold much better that way but you might have to buy the larger and more expensive sheets. They are all the same so buy the cheapest for the size you need.
There are also much cheaper sheets that you nail around the exterior window frame. There is no complete seal around the edge so they only minimize the draft. Great on a budget but a poor alternative. Finally you can also get the roll of grey caulk. Very cheap and effective but it gets brittle in the cold so you have to squeeze it all the way into the gaps.
I really don;t understand how it can flutter if it’s over the glass. Afaik, it’s meant to insulate the glass, not deal with air leaks. Am I wrong?
We used the stuff that shrinks on an old house Upstate. It’s definitely better than nothing. It’s very clear when it’s shrunk and we could see it fluttering with the pressure of the wind.
Does the film stop drafts? I thought it was applied only to the glass surface, which would not do so. In which case, it’s hardly worth it as the insulative property is about 50% and drafts are the major cause of heat loss.
Can it be applied on the window frame to form an air seal?