Brr! Drafty windows- how to cut the draft?

Question

I have 3 sets of windows configured like this...very drafty, How to you winterize them?   There is nothing in the corner to stick tape to. Thank you

William · Answer

Use window shrink film kits. The come with double stick tape you put on the widow frame, attach the window film, and use a blow dryer to shrink the film. You run a strip of tape on the frames in the corner. ***** http://www.acehardware.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2627449

Ann Meyerhoff · Answer

I don't bother to shrink the it because if the wind is too strong it can release the tape.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

Home Depot sell window insulation kits from Three M

Gsmigielski · Answer

Use bubble wrap------buy it at staples.

Sue Kiene · Answer

I agree with them about the shrink wrap but I would think about building a frame to put inside the windows for next winter with maybe plexiglass or the like in it.

Asko, the big Finn · Answer

Hi there!

I bet your windows are drafty as you stated! These types are notorious for letting the wind in. If they slide, there is a gap.

The FIRST task is to seal the the drafts!! You can caulk ( could do it outside), weatherstrip, or use tape . I am a Master Conserver and done tens of windows and doors. I often caulk shut all except 2 or 3 windows, that is enough in the Summer to fan the house cool. Also cool the house at night and close curtains during the day. The shrink plastics works quite well, or bubble wrap. I often get cheap or free windows and make storm windows out of those. Also storms with frames and plastic are quite effective. To get warmer windows, you can make (or purchase) insulated drapes.

Very few folks realize the cumulative results. If a door has a gap of 1/8 inch (which is relatively small) all around, you have a hole of 28 sq. inches!!!!! Lots of heat escapes 24/7!!!! If you stop the drafts, you can lower your temperature considerably and feel just as comfy!! Weatherstrip your doors!!! Plug all air leaks around pipes, bath room fans, electrical switches and outlets, etc. Most houses have several square feet of air leaks!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Asko, the big Finn

Teresa · Answer

Another quick trick and cheep is bubble wrap it insulates too. I saw it on a tv program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TxGl7IO2Ds

Hope it helps Teresa

Installation

Cut the bubble wrap to the size of the window pane with scissors.
Spray a film of water on the window using a spray bottle.
Apply the bubble wrap while the window is still wet and press it into place.
The bubble side goes toward the glass.

To remove the bubble wrap, just pull it off starting from a corner.

Susan August · Answer

What do you do about condensation??

Lamar Havard · Answer

I agree with William. The shrink film acts like another well-sealed window, and is the best, and cheapest fix.

Debbie Stokes Cotter · Answer

If you want an idea that you can use many winters is go to a Home Depot type of store and by a sheet of plexiglass. Have them cut to size of the outside of the window frame. (indoors not outdoors) Then buy Velcro tape in a roll. Cut the Velcro in half lengthwise and apply one side to the edge of the plexiglass and the other side to the window frame. Press the plexiglass into the window frame for a secure fit! There are professional kits you can buy online, but doing it yourself is cheaper. This may be initially somewhat expensive, but you can use it for many years if you are careful. I used this method on one window that was very leaky, and was very pleased by the result. Good luck!

Dfm · Answer

thanks for all the good replies, I would use shrink wrap but the prevous home owner /land lord oiled all the wood work. nothing sticks to it, and tape on the paint in other areas has pulled off seriously huge chunks of paint chips. apparently no primer used over the old paint b/4 the new color.

Jean Myles · Answer

You can cut strips of cardboard or buy thin strips of wood molding and enough plastic to cover the window frames. Then tack them around the window frame . Caulking the windows would be a good idea also. They sell removable caulking at home depot here in Canada that can be used on the inside or outside of the windows. l Lined curtains also work well .

Kj · Answer

Try pushing some insulating putty into any cracks or places that may allow for air to come in. Even though many have said to use shrink wrap kits, and you've said that it won't stick because the sills had been oiled, I would strongly recommend trying one of the outdoor shrink wrap kits. I've used them and they made a big difference, even though they weren't the perfect solution . I've used an outdoor sliding glass door kit sideways on a long bank of windows. Again, not perfect, but it helped in conjunction with the putty. Good luck, stay warm!🔥

Eroque022810 · Answer

Clean oil off with a product for that purpose someone at an ace hardware store will be most helpful oy here. Then the problem I see is that the blinds are not put in properly one is higher than the other due to lack of space in that corner. Locate the draft and see if taking blinds down instead of making a hole in the plastic. I suppose you could leave them open and pull drapes closed. I would do each window accordingly. Although I like the plexiglass suggestion best. Easy up easy down. Plus the cold you feel now is the heat that will come in during the summer! 😨

Pennypincher · Answer

Caulk that can be removed when you are ready to open! Here is just one of these products. http://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Seal-N-Peel-10-1-oz-Removable-Weatherstrip-Caulk-18351/100140056

Sophia,M.,McConnery · Answer

They do sell the shrink wrap kits at most hardware stores!

V Smith · Answer

I grew up in a house that was built right after the Civil War. Even when the windows were properly caulked they still let in a lot of air. Only the bottom panes moved so most of the leaks were there. We used to fold strips of paper into a long vee shape. Then with a very thin putty knife we would push the papers along the sides, bottom, and between the top and bottom panes. It really made a difference and the paper didn't show inside or out.

RichandTammy Whiteside · Answer

When we were growing up, I remember my father making frames that fit inside the windows out of simple 1 x 3's. To the frame he stapled heavy-duty clear vinyl that overlapped the frame just a little to basically seal out the cold. It kept the chill out but still allowed the light in.

You could also use a gentle painters tape to also hold the frames in place which would be just another added measure of sealing out the cold.

Good luck to you & Merry Christmas!!!

Judy Adkisson · Answer

I put bubble wrap on the glass of my windows. Cut wrap the size of the window spray window with water and put flat side to the glass and press gently to put in place😊. Some I put on last year is still on the windows. Keeps cold out in the winter and heat out in the summer.took about an hour to do a five room house and cost less then $15. I bought two rolls of wrap at Menard's .

Pat Ruge · Answer

First let me say, my solution will be a bit 'unconventional'. Bear with me as I tend to prefer function over form.

I would remove all venetian blinds and hardware. At home depot, you can find these sheets of insulation that measures 4'x8' feet. It sells for just under $9/ea. One side has an aluminum shield, layered on 3/4' Styrofoam. Cut these pieces to fit each window. This alone will eliminate most drafts but it might not look great. Aluminum side to the outside. These 'draft barriers' can easily be slipped in and out if you mount a little pull strip at the bottom. I would take it one step further and cover the interior side with batting and top it with a nice fabric. Another option is to simply pull the drapes to cover the look of the insulation.

If the window boxes have drafts, there is another product called 'stuff' in a spray can, that you can insert applicator into a small hole and squeeze enough 'stuff' to fill. This insulation product expands to fill the space.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/R-Tech-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-R-2-89-Foam-Insulating-Sheathing-310873/202530470 Insulation sheets

Sandra Crosbie · Answer

Isn't a terrible pity that in this day and age that so many people are still chasing their tail trying to keep the dreaded draught away. Our home was built in 1999. We thought yay it will be so warm and cosy, not a chance here we are 13 years later since we moved here we are still trying to draught proof the house. My husband has spent the past to weeks repairing and recaulking the area were the wall and window meet. Especially under the bottom frame. It has made a huge difference I also make sure I keep the windows covered, blinds are closed and heavy curtains closed at night is an extra bit of cosy. I really hope you get a useful solution, there's nothing worse at this time of year when the heat in your house wants to escape and doing so it invites chilly and draughty in. Good luck.🏡💲💲🎏🐧🐧

Pam Kneebone · Answer

I would try a simple cheap solution of dollar store clear plastic shower curtains with a inexpensive push rod inside frame.Cheaper than that clear shrink wrap and easier.

Michele Bartholome · Answer

grand father had a set of 'winter'panes he put up outside every year & the idea of using plexiglass is a good one to be used outside BUT before mounting them place a runner of felt or other flexable insulation around the edges that too helps & there are a kind of bracket that hekps that is placed directly on the walls so you dont have to drill the plexi

A. Saucedo · Answer

I get wide painters tape and tape around inside window . Doesn't look the greatest but keeps drafts out and easy to remove

Carol · Answer

I lived in an old country home while raising children alone, Propane bills were killing me, and we only had a wood burning stove and a wall furnace in the kitchen area. I used Bulb seal at my employment, and one day it came to me. So I went to a hardware store and bought bulb seal to go around the windows, then I bought some Plexiglas , cut it just a bit smaller than the window itself and surrounded it by the bulb seal cutting a small slit to fit the plexi glass. pushed in in carefully as near to the window as I could on the inside. This worked wonders.

It was clear and no body ever noticed , just nearly looked like double pane windows. just really cleaned the windows and frames well first. Hope this helps some.

Mary · Answer

a lot of corners on houses are not insulated properly when built. the way the studs go together it is hard to get insulation in between, so it goes undone. also many times the window hole is larger than the window itself and this is put in with wedges or spacers which again are not insulated. At the end of the day you have a cold ghost corner. I would say staple plastic sheeting outside the house and come summer get into the walls or replace the windows with triple pane and you can check the insulation then. Storm windows on the outside do help. If you remove the trim inside you can fill with the great stuff foam spray but use the blue can, the red can expands a lot and you may not be able to open the window. All this depends on how much you want to spend and whether or not it is owned. Cheapest quickest is staple plastic to the outside over the whole corner if this changes things it will be a clue how much insulation you have.

Karen Walker · Answer

My granddaddy used those frames with the heavy plastic sheets to fit over the windows in the winter; effective yes but, so depressing! Consider planting some evergreens on either side of the windows. Evergreens are great insulators. You'll not want to plant to too close to the walls but close enough to block the winds. Also consider building a frame of plexiglass sheets that will fit into the corner (kind of like a hinged room divider). Plexiglass comes in a variety of colors and textures ( clear/ frosted still let in the light) . http://www.lulusoso.com/upload/20110510/Cast_Acrylic_Sheet_PMMA_acrylic_mirror_sheet.jpg

Or polypropolene panels sometimes used in greenhouses. http://www.pakuya.com/upload/20110810/Polypropylene_PP_Corrugated_Plastic_Sheet_Board.jpg

Linda · Answer

Not sure what it's called but you can get it from a hardware store and it's a film that comes with double sided tape. It comes in different size sheets so measure your window first. The tape goes around the window frame and you position the film against the tape. (cut to fit with a bit extra in case of mis-measuring). Then once it's in place, you use a hair dryer over the whole surface and the film shrinks tight. It works well and is as clear as glass .

Zebbie Hardy · Answer

We have the same 2 windows on a corner just like this. Over the spring I went around the outside and took storm window part off of them and caulked all of my window and much much better, but for our breezeway my husband made frames for each section, nothing fancy with no angles, and puts heavy plasic around the frame and staples then he screws the frames to the wood of each section on our breezeway. The puts them up every winter and takes down every spring. They actually don't look that bad either, maybe this would help through the winter. I would be happy to attach picture if you would like to see. If not no worries. Stay warm.

Linda Abate · Answer

You could put plastic on the outside and/or inside of the windows. You could put up thermal lined curtains or use quilted window covers.

Brr! Drafty windows- how to cut the draft?

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