Windows
Insulating With Reflectivity
and Pockets of Air,
plus
the Importance of Shade
The way to insulate windows is by using pockets of air that are NOT connected to your house. It's easier than it sounds. The way to keep heat from entering your house is through reflectivity. But you probably knew that!
Remember: Even if you’re going to have someone else do the work for you, be informed. Watch the videos!
In days of yore, houses had shutters on the outside of the house that kept the cold, damp, windy air out of the house. It (mostly) successfully created a pocket of air between the shutter and the window that acted as insulation. Storm coming? Close the shutters. Beautiful weather? Open the shutters. Nowadays, there are double and triple-paned windows that have pocketed air (along with some fancy innovations) that serve a similar function. The rest of us have been doing whatever we can to insulate the house from the windows and the cold and the heat. And, don’t forget the leaks around doors! I’ve included several options in the DIY section.
Do-It-Yourself for Fighting Heat
Heat? Try Reflectivity
Silvery car shades, the shiny side of aluminum (or tin?) foil, UV Reflective Tinting, any flat shiny metal… they all work to reflect heat. PUH-lenty of people use this method for reducing heat in a room. Here, only half the window is covered. Hmm. Read on.
The Perfect Shade - Trees and Shrubs
Seriously, if you’ve got time to grow something, trees and shrubs are great at providing shade. Of course, the *sun moves north to south and back again as the year proceeds, so sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn’t. Hence, shrubs nearer to the house might be the best bet.
(*Really, the earth tilts on its access.)
Window Tinting
Tints come in several colors, and some are translucent, while some are opaque. Most tints will tell you if they reflect heat or not.
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Shades and Blinds
Whether inside or out, there are many options to choose from. Indoor options include the popular cellular shade (also called honeycomb shades) – with a pocket of air in each section and can be raised or lowered. Blinds can open or shut, creating air between the blind and the window. Outside, shades can be rolled up and down as needed.
Drapes
Yes, it’s true. Good drapes can lower the indoor temperature. Once again, the slight reflectivity and the fact that it captures the hot air between the window and the drapes, makes for a lovely combination.
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Awnings and Roof Overhangs
The whole point of these is to provide shade – to stop the sun from beating down on your exposed walls and windows. They can be small or large depending on how much protection you want. The retractable awning lets you adjust for the direction of the sun. My overhang in the back yard just happens to be the roof to my covered patio!
Do-It-Yourself for Fighting the Cold
Plastic!
We are finally going to get down to creating an air space that helps keep the cold air from coming in! This fellow uses a Window Insulation Kit – they’re pretty common. But if you live in an area where SOMEONE thinks you’ll never need it, look online.
Plastics part 2
You could tape bubble wrap (or small bubble wrap rolls) to the window BEFORE you put on the aforementioned plastic
All Purpose Cold and Heat Protection Video
I mentioned bubble wrap – this video starts with it! Then she goes on to show a variety of ways to seal the window.
Window Inserts
Okay. I saw one video on this where the guy says that the temperature of the window and the temperature of the window insert were the exact same after installation. To me … now correct me if I’m wrong …. that means that not much in the way of energy savings is going on. BUT – it’s basically a flexible plastic window that looks nice. If you’d rather not have plastic stuck to the frame of your window – as with the first cold video – then this is a “pretty” option. So – search key words: window inserts.
Draft Stoppers
These are simple and easy to use. Some are even cute. When the door is closed, push the cute draft stoppers up close to the bottom of the door. If you want to use the foam draft stopper, open the door and slide it under the door. It should allow you to open and close the door as you normally would. Search key words: Door Draft Stopper.
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Heavy Curtains
Don’t forget! A good set of heavy insulated curtains – or blankets draped over the regular curtains – can go a long way to stopping drafts.
Contractors - Key Words
As far as contractors and installers go, the major old-school, single-paned window fix is new windows. There are double and triple paned windows out there and a wide variety of costs. You’ll have to do some research and then, call around. Or, you can leave your data at a website and they can spread your information around. It’s up to you!
Double paned windows have either trapped air or trapped gas (krypton or argon) between two panes of glass. Sometimes, the glass is treated with a UV filter. They come pre-framed in aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass, and for loads more money you can get them in wooden frames. The trapped air acts to slow down the transfer of heat from one pane to the other making it “insulated.” Because of that, you’re less likely to get fog or ice crystals on the inside or the outside pane.
I had some installed and they actually had to make the window hole larger and lower to the ground/floor to follow new fire laws which say something like: the window must be accessible to an averaged height firefighter in case ingress/egress is blocked at normal exits. I’m just sayin’. Be prepared in case that’s a real thing. It hasn’t hurt the way the house looks or how the windows work.
Window Replacement Key Words
double paned…..double-paned……double pane……dual pane…..contractor vs installer …. trapped gas vs trapped air…..warm-edge spacer…..Energy Star Window Rating….. triple paned…..framing – aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass
Let’s DO this!!