Ask the Readers | Window Weather-Stripping
I did a search on your website and didn’t see anything on this. I’m looking for frugal feedback on weather stripping my windows. My house is only ~20 years old but I’m in New Hampshire and it’s cold! I can feel drafts from them and we have huge propane bills.
There are so many options when googling and I’m having trouble figuring out the most effective solutions, especially as I want maximum natural light during the day for my houseplants. I also have a lot of big windows to cover, and the product cost can vary a lot. I thought maybe your readers would have feedback for me?
Ummm...apologies to the dear reader who sent this question in. I cannot for the life of me find the name that goes with this question! Hopefully they are a person who reads here regularly so they can catch the advice you all will give.
I have never lived in a house with windows even 20 years old, so I have a serious lack of experience with weather-stripping windows.
My first thought was that whether (ha!) you do weather-stripping or not, it might be smart to get some thermal curtains. Obviously, you wouldn't want to close them during the day, but at least at night you could have a serious amount of insulation over the windows.
And since it's coldest at night, the curtains might make a big difference.
That's the extent of my advice on this topic, so I will quit typing here and will open it up to readers. I am positive there are plenty of people in the community here who have dealt with drafty windows!
Hi! I’m not sure this will help as this doesn’t seem to be usual in the US from what I’ve gathered, but in France we have shutters on our windows to maintain isolation. These can be made of wood or other materials, the most recent ones are an electric version that rolls down, like this: https://screen-doors.com.au/electric-window-roller-shutter-glen-waverley/. All shutters are on the outside side of your windows, so when shut at night, they will protect the actual windows from the elements. In the summer it’s also nice to roll them down a bit to keep the temperature down.
As shutters do not seem widespread in the US I’m not sure you’ll be able to find a cost effective way to install them unfortunately, so another option would be to add a “glazing” layer (not sure this is the right word!), especially if your windows only have one pane of glass. Double glazing or triple glazing are a great way to insulate. I’ve also heard that you should have a close look at the frame of the windows for damage. if you have small leaks there, you could probably caulk or fill them in? Good luck!
@F from France, Shutters make a huge difference temperature-wise, both in the summer and winter. I have heard that special window foils (thinsulate-window-films) also help, but I don't have any experience with those.
@F from France,
that is what I was going to suggest. Those shutters are so effective - both in winter and in summer.
But - I am from/in Germany and here that's one of the usual things to do.
Just another European experience here. In NL you do not see shutters as much as you do in Germany, France or Belgium. Double or triple glazing is pretty common though and really helps to keep out cold in winter and heat in summer. For buildings that are older and have the status of a monument, often double glazed panels are fitted on the inside of a window so the outside of the monument is kept intact.
As a student used to live in an old but not monument-graded building and I used thick curtains and rolled sheets on the window sills to keep the draughts away.
In our present home we have high quality double glazing. Whichever option you choose, be prepared to have that replaced every 20 years or so as there is nothing in the world that will not wear eventually! Windows too.
@F from France, cool! I never saw anything like this before.
Home Despot has a good page on insulating windows:
https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/how-to-insulate-windows-in-cold-weather/9ba683603be9fa5395fab9088ed0a85
@WilliamB, (insert laughter) "despot".
@Kris, I live just a few miles from Lowes HQ in NC and I'm sure that word has been bandied about quite often. Apologies to the OP.
@Kris, You mean there's another name for that store?
I, too have windows all around the house, most nearly floor to ceiling.
Aside from making sure windows are tight with weatherstripping or caulk, I also invested in cellular window blinds. (Sometimes called honeycomb blinds.) It has a little pocket inside the blind that gives it that much more insulation.
One more thing I would do during extreme cold is cover the windows with bubble wrap. Not the most aesthetically pleasing but it does a good job keeping cold out. You can at least do it in the most crucial rooms.
Don't forget your door thresholds too. They get old and cracked. We replaced all of ours because scorpions kept getting into the house. I'd rather deal with cold than scorpions! They hurt like the dickens.
We lived in the deep cold north of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for 24 years. We had months MONTHS that never got above zero. I also had big windows and need light to feel good.
We did the plastic coverings with the blow dryer on all windows in rooms that were not living areas.
We purchased thermal blinds and thermal curtains. Opened blinds halfway and curtains all the way every morning and closed them after supper every evening.
Worked pretty well for us.
@Stephanie, my son is going to college in the Soo and I'm amazed at the difference in weather the Yoopers have as compared to us trolls here in the lower peninsula. Sorta jealous of all the snow he gets. Anyway, yes, we have done all those things and they worked well. Before we purchased new windows (which are WELL WORTH saving for), I also used to add a thin, putty-like layer which came in strip you could unroll to any and all cracks on my windows. If you can feel air coming in through any cracks, cover the cracks! We currently have a cellular shade on our dining window and that is also helpful (even with our newer windows!).
@Stephanie, Hello fellow Yooper!
@Laura, we lived in the yoop from 1994-2019. We now live in metro Detroit. We call it the banana belt. I needed to stay in Michigan for my pension but we needed out of the snowbelt of the Western UP! The polar plunge years were not fun!! Now I am a troll!! Lol. We love Michigan, the Great Lakes and all the smaller lakes and rivers too!
@Stephanie, your pension tells you where you must live?
The reader's utility company might have a free program for an energy use audit that can make recommendations.
Because the windows are not that old, a window company might be able to make repairs that would make them weather-tight again. Being as it's the dead of winter, the other readers' suggestions about covering the windows with the plastic that shrinks to fit is good. It helps a lot and lets in sunshine.
We replaced all the 1950s steel casement windows in our house nine years ago with energy-efficient double-pane insulated windows. There was a federal rebate for doing so. It was not a huge amount of money, but it helped some with the cost.
I wonder if the whole house is poorly insulated. I would look into that. It can usually be easily remedied if that's the case.
@Carole, yes. Adding insulation in the attic could be very helpful. You can rent an insulation blower machine from Home Depot.
If you’re getting drafts, that suggests that the windows aren’t closing fully, or the windows themselves aren’t firmly seated in the opening. For windows that don’t open and are drafty, you’ll want to caulk the frame where it meets the wall (inside and out) and recaulk or putty where the glass meets the frame (if there’s a plasticky or rubbery bit between glass and frame, that’s caulk; if it’s more claylike or sticky that’s usually putty). Windows that open are a bit trickier, because it depends whether you have sashes, sliders, or casement openers. If sashes, weatherstripping goes on the bottom of the window between the window and the sill (and next summer you need a window guy to come out and rebalance your sashes). If sliders, the weatherstripping goes in the frame at the top and sides of the window (gravity should give you a decent seal along the bottom). If casement openers, the weatherstripping goes on the inside of the moving frame where it overlaps against the fixed frame of the window. For each of these solutions, you’ll need weatherstripping for that particular application - rubbery for sashes, furry/bristly for sliders, and felted for casement openers. Thermal blinds and curtains will also help, though they will block some/all of the light depending on how much you use them. If all this sounds too complicated, your heating or power company (or city/county?) probably has a scheme where they will come out and do an energy audit of your house and either make changes on the spot or provide more detail about exactly what you need to do on your house.
Pre-apologies for the long post! Shortly after I bought my house, I had to have 16 windows replaced (2 were 6' picture windows). The draft coming in the windows would cause my curtains to blow like a stiff breeze was hitting them! and some were "fogged". The info I found to help until I could save for the new windows was very helpful and pretty much reiterates what everyone is recommending. 🙂
Tips for Improving Window Efficiency
Use thermal curtains: Thick thermal curtains drawn across the windows at night significantly raise the window's overall R-value.
Add window insulating film: You can apply your own thin clear layer of plastic film to the window trim with adhesive. Application of heat from a hairdryer will tighten the film.
Weatherproofing: Older windows may have hairline cracks or they are beginning to open up around the framing. Those problems let cold air enter the home. Using an exterior-grade silicone caulk can close up these leaks.
Replace foggy windows: Windows that are foggy between the two panes of glass have lost their seals and the gas has leaked out. It is usually best to replace the entire window to regain the energy efficiency in your room.
I second the window cling film. I didn't always do the hair-dryer part, but if you do, it makes the plastic almost invisible. (A miracle product that actually worked as advertised!).
In our seldom used bathroom, I have had the same sheet up for years (not hair-dryer-shrunk). When I open the window for a few days in the summer, I just unstick it around the bottom and up a bit on the sides, and roll it up a bit, then stick it back in place in the fall.
I have read of using bubble wrap on glass but have not tried it. Cut it to the right size, moisten it slightly with a spray bottle of water, and it will stay in place by itself.
@sfeather,
We're having the glass replaced in 6 windows for $1,400 rather than pay for replacing the whole window. Ours were fogging as well. It's SO much cheaper to replace the glass. Grateful someone was honest with me about this.
Back in ye olden days, we put "storm windows" on top of our regular single pane windows in cold weather and took them off in warm weather and put on screens, because we had no air conditioning and we kept our windows up all summer.
I now have double-pane "insulated" windows, but I think they are starting to lose their seals. I plan to re-seal around them and one day, replace them entirely. They are metal-framed and condensation is a constant nuisance on the frames in cold weather. The suggestions in the comments here are probably the best one can do without actually replacing windows.
In addition to all the wonderful comments here that I totally agree with (the cling film window kits are cheap and work wonders along with thermal curtains) is if you are the least bit handy remove the window trim from around the windows and see how much of a gap there is and use the expanding insulating foam the fill any gaps. It makes a huge difference to air leaks getting around the window unit. Good luck, I grew up in a house built in the 1920s that had all original windows in the Canadian Prairies. It gets cold and stays cold. I think we did everything we could until my parents replaced a few of the worst windows.
Also, the foam sheets that go under electrical outlets make a noticeable difference, and are quick and cheap to install.
@Heidi Louise, I second this! Very inexpensive and effective.
With really thick curtains or whatnot, keep an eye on the edges of your windows. When condensation gets trapped against your windows all night, it's very easy for mold to start. So just keep an eye on it!
Thermal curtains are great advice. I advice two different kinds of protection that will still allow the light in.
1-Clear or opaque thick plastic stabled on the outside of each window. It means you can't really open the windows until spring...of course you can rip it out in an emergency.
2 - plastic shrink film window kit attached on the inside of each window. I've used this & it works very well. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Duck-Shrink-Film-Window-Insulation-Kit-Indoor-10-Pack-62-in-x-420-in/17133826
I've covered standard sized windows & even kept it over a sliding glass door year round for a few yrs until we could afford to replace the door. It made such a difference in cooling costs in summer as well.
I like the shrink film first because it does make a difference. Second, it's not as noticeable. If you put it on smoothly & shrink it tight, then hang your curtains you don't really notice it. Of course, you cannot open the windows until you take it down but it's worth it to feel comfortable in extreme weather months.
Another fan of the window shrink/cling film here! That, plus some heavier curtains for the colder months helps keep our 100+ year old house warm during the winter.
The window film isn't very expensive, but it's worth checking the clearance sections at Lowe's/Home Depot in the spring to potentially save a little more.
Replacing the original windows in my 1964 house is my favorite upgrade. New windows are worth it. If by weather stripping you mean the plastic covers....it can help but isn't that great. If you mean foam or sealer on the edges of the windows....I didn't know windows come without that (but I live in a cold climate).