How to install window insulation

It makes a difference in how you hang drapes when they are energy-efficient window treatments. Drapes should be hung as close to the window as possible and sweep the windowsill or floor. For maximum effectiveness, install the drapes as far up to the ceiling as possible. Seal the drapes at both sides to further minimize heat exchange. Using magnetic or loop tape to seal the sides of the drapes to the wall and overlap panels in the center on the sides may reduce heat loss by up to 25 percent.

When cellular shades are tightly fit against the window, they too can reduce heat loss through windows by 40 percent and reduce unwanted solar heat by up to 80 percent. Draft stoppers can be found premade in home goods or home improvement stores. Make your own draft stopper with long socks or by sewing fabric into long tubes the length of a window or door you would like to block.

Fill the sock or fabric tube with rice, popcorn kernels, or dried beans. Close the end of the tube after filling by hand- or machine-sewing. Close your window and lay the draft stopper firmly across where the sill and the bottom of the window meet. This seal can block cold or hot air from seeping in or out through gaps and crevices. If you have a double-hung window, you can also lay a draft stopper on the top rail across the sash lock when the window is closed to eliminate even more drafts.

Energy efficient window attachments. Department of Engery. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products.

List of Partners vendors. Project Overview. Tip Window film insulation is different from reflective window film or low emissivity film.

Featured Video. Materials Window film insulation kit Caulk Weatherstripping Spray foam Filler for draft stopper optional Socks or fabric optional. Tip If you are new to caulking, practice the technique on a paper towel before insulating your windows. Article Sources. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Show Full Article. Your Privacy Rights. Once you've determined how much it expands, use that knowledge to apply the necessary bead amount around the entire seam. Make a draft snake for sliding windows and steel casement windows. Sew a simple fabric tube to match the width of the window. Fill it with dried rice or polyester stuffing, then place it along the bottom of your window inside your home.

You can also purchase draft snakes or draft snake kits online and at some superstores or department stores. Foam-and-fabric draft snake kits will allow you to customize the snake to fit the length of your windowsill; simply cut the enclosed foam tube down to size and insert it into the washable cover. When making your own draft snake, note that heavier materials denim, corduroy, etc. Note that this will only insulate the seam along your windowsill. You won't be able to use a draft snake to seal the top and side seams.

All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Seal the gap between the upper and lower sashes on wooden double hung windows. This is often the main source of air leakage. Large paint drops on either surface create a gap. If any thumb latches are missing or broken, replace them.

They pull the sashes together to close the gap. Scrape off drops of paint on the contacting surfaces of the upper and lower sashes. Lower the upper sash and raise the lower sash as far as they can go. This will expose both surfaces so you can scrape off the paint. If the upper sash can't be lowered, try cutting off the drops of paint by sliding a hack saw blade between the sashes.

Part 3. Paint the crack with nail polish. For small cracks in the glass, apply several coats of clear nail polish directly over the damaged area. Wait until each coat dries before applying another. The polish should seal the crack and prevent it from spreading for several months, but it will eventually wear off.

Cracked window glass will need to be replaced. Use weather-seal tape. Cut a small strip of clear weather-seal tape and place it directly over the crack in the glass. The tape should last for several months and prevent air from flowing through the crack.

As with nail polish, weather-seal tape should only be used as a temporary fix. You'll eventually need to replace the cracked window glass to prevent the crack from getting worse. Part 4. Apply window insulation film. Trim the film down to size, if necessary, then stick it to the inner glass of your window using double-sided tape.

You'll also need to shrink the film with a hair dryer for an improved seal. This is another inexpensive and simple solution, and it's as simple to remove as it is to apply. You may wish to soak the tape in rubbing alcohol before peeling it away, though, to minimize the risk of peeling away any paint or leaving any sticky residue.

The film will create a noticeable haze over your window. Light should still shine through, but it may not be the most aesthetically pleasing option. Stick bubble wrap onto the window. Spray the window with water, then press a sheet of trimmed bubble wrap directly onto the wet glass. It should stick without difficulty and remain in place for several months. Opt for bubble wrap with large bubbles since it tends to insulate better than the smaller bubble type. Trim the bubble wrap so that it slightly overlaps the seams of your window.

When applying it to the window, the bubble-side should face the glass. If desired, you can apply a double layer of bubble wrap for even better insulation. If the bubble wrap won't stick to your window on its own, you may need to use double-sided tape to help it stay in place.

Bubble wrap will block the view from the window, but it should allow light to come through without difficulty. To remove the bubble wrap, simply peel it away, moving from one corner to the diagonally opposite corner.

The bubble wrap itself usually won't leave any stain, but you may need to clean the window to return the glass to full visibility. Layer shades and curtains. Install cellular shades over your window, then fit heavy curtains over the shades.

The film is thin and easily damaged by hard objects. It also has static cling, so keep it away from dirt and dust, preferably off the floor. If the package contains multiple sheets of film, unpack only one at a time; if the package contains one big sheet, consider how to position it on and trim it off each window for minimum waste.

Think about how to best fit the film to the window. If you have individual window-sized sheets, it should be easy, but if you have very tall windows measure first. It may be a tight fit so you'll have to leave narrow margins, or even extend the film to reach the full length. You can splice sheets with the double-sided tape, or even extend them a little with wide clear mailing tape which could possibly lift paint.

These imperfect fixes are more easily hidden at the top of the window after attaching the film from the bottom up than at the bottom after attaching the film top-down as usual. If you have one huge sheet, or a part of it left over after insulating a set of windows or sliding glass door, it may be more efficiently used the "wide" way across the wall rather than the "long" way.

Unfold the first 12 inches Leave the remainder of the film stuck together. The film is tightly stuck together because of static and can be tricky to separate. If it won't separate easily, moisten thumb and fingers and rub the edge of the folded film film gently between them until it separates.

This can take a little while and you will notice that the friction increases until the film separates. The folded edge can be recognised because it is a bit crinkly when the film is laid flat. Do not unroll the film before applying it because the inside surfaces facing the glass will immediately start to attract dust. Stick the top edge of the film to the tape, centering the film side-to-side so there is a little excess on each side.

If the bundle of film is dusty, put the dusty surfaces on the outside, toward the room, so they can be cleaned off. To do this, present the window insulation film to the top of the frame as you unfold it such that so that the clean inside surfaces that emerge as you begin to unfold face the window.

Work down the window attaching the film. Unroll about six inches at a time from the bundle of film, peel the tape backing paper off or pull it off all at once , and stick the film to the tape. Keep the sides slightly taut and even from side to side. Wrinkles are OK: they will be removed later.

Peel off the last few inches and the bottom tape while holding the film away from the tape with the other hand. Attach the bottom of the film. Do not pull the film tight; rather, push in on it a little to make sure it sticks to the full width of the tape across the sill, including at the corners. This is a common weak point because tension tends to pull the film up off the tape on the sill, rather than straight across it as with the tape on the other molding.

If the tape comes off the sill later, you can fix the problem with clear mailing tape which doesn't look quite perfect and can lift paint. Carefully rub down the film onto the tape all the way round. Do not use a hard object. A clean cloth would work well. Trim the excess film with a snap-off knife. Pull very gently at the film where you are cutting it to keep it perpendicular to the window and tape, and, holding the knife parallel to and pointing away from the center of the window, trim the excess film a fraction of an inch less than a centimeter from the edge of the tape.

This eliminates a need to scrape the window frame near the tape. Holding the knife swept back so that the film sweeps by as it cuts rather than bunching up at a single point on it will cut more smoothly. Care is needed because the film can tear across the line of the tape. The small excess of film will curl up even further when heat is applied and not be noticeable. Be very careful to stand so that you would not fall onto the window if you fall, and to extend the knife very little and hold it so that you would be unlikely to cut yourself badly in case of an accident.

Use a hair dryer to shrink the film, removing wrinkles. Hold it a few inches away; you'll see the film begin to shrink. Closer will not work better: it'll just reduce the airflow, potentially overheating the dryer or damaging the film. Work in a pattern, for instance, a spiral from the corners towards the centre.

Shrinkage in one space will remove wrinkles all over. Don't try to shrink one area enough to remove all wrinkles before proceeding to the next. That will cause uneven tension and, possibly, separate the film from the tape. If the hair dryer turns off on its own, it has probably overheated. It probably has a thermal protector that will reset itself if the dryer is unplugged and allowed to cool for up to a half-hour.

Mid to late fall. Make sure it's before winter as the cold will produce more moisture! Yes No. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 3. Once the film shrinks, it stays shrunk.