Our Little Green Planet: Window Weatherization

DIY Steps to Go Green – Window Weatherization

Posted on December 27th, 2009 by admin

Did you know that there are many simple things that you can do on your own to weatherize your home and save money on your heating bill? One starting point is with your windows. This applies to most windows, but it’s even more useful for people that are living in an old drafty house with original windows. Ok, let’s get started.

Materials

seal and peel caulk, like the one here

heat shrinking film, like the one here (this kit includes 2 rolls of double-sided tape)

scissors and a hair-dryer

The Process

Clean your window first. You want to wipe the windowsill and window frame with a clean wet rag, and remove any moisture with a clean dry rag. Cleaning thoroughly allows for the double-sided tape to stick well.

Apply the caulk to any gaps you have between the window and its frame. This applies to all the windows that you do not intend to open during the Winter. If the gap between the window and the frame is large, just fill it up. The caulk can be easily peeled off later, so don’t worry about losing the chance to open your windows when Spring comes around.

Apply the window film to your window. This process requires several steps:

Apply a single piece of double-sided tape all the way around your window, by starting with the windowsill and going around the entire frame of the window. Make sure you don’t leave any openings at the corners. You should have a single piece of tape spanning the entire circumference of the window when you’re done. Wait a minute or two for the tape to create a nice bond with the windowsill and surrounding frame.

Cut out a good portion of the window film such that it covers your entire window, and it has some excess material all-around, just in case you may need it. Attach the window film to the double-sided tape, all around the window. A good technique is to start at the top middle side of your window, and work your way outward to the left and right sides, and then finish up at the bottom, on the windowsill.

Use a hair-dryer to shrink the film. Start at the top edges/sides, and slowly work your way towards the middle. As you heat-up the window film, you’ll notice the film starts to shrink, making your insulation stretch tight like a drum.

When you’re done stretching the film, and if you’re happy with your results, carefully trim the excess film.

You should now have a nice clean and clear sheet of film covering your entire window, thus allowing you to keep that heat that you pay for inside the house. We’ll add a video to this article as soon as we get to it, so hopefully it will make the process even more clearer and easy to follow

Tags: weatherization, windows

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