Ways to Weatherize Your Windows

Living in colder climates while offering a beautiful location and stunning scenery can also present many challenges. One such challenge is the lack of heat efficiency in your home, leading to high heating bills. By making some changes, you can take control of your energy usage and significantly reduce these bills, ensuring your home is running efficiently and not wasting money.

One way to ensure your home is more energy efficient is to weatherize windows. Windows can contribute up to 30% of your home heating loss, which can add up over the year. But what does it mean to weatherize windows? This post will explore how to weatherize windows so you can make your home more energy efficient and increase your comfort.

Why Should You Weatherize Windows?

By weatherizing your windows, you can significantly increase your home’s R-value, a measure of its energy efficiency. The benefits of this process go beyond just energy savings. You’ll also experience a reduction in air leaks, heating and cooling bills and a significant boost in year-round comfort, making your home a more cozy and comfortable place to be.

Now you know why you should weatherize your windows, let’s look at how you can do it!

Install A Window Film

Window films are a simple and effective solution to prevent heat loss through your windows. These easy-to-install sheets can be added to the interior or exterior of your windows, acting as an extra barrier to stop heat from radiating through. Reports suggest that window films can reduce heat loss via windows by up to 70%. They’re a cost-effective solution that you can install yourself, empowering you to improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Depending on your windows and environment, you can choose from a range of different types of window film. There are security films designed to increase privacy in your home. You can also choose security films that help prevent shattered glass if you live in an area that experiences frequent storms. You can also choose a decorative film that looks good while preserving energy, UV-blocking, anti-glare, and more for your windows. All perform in similar ways with different properties.

Draft Stoppers

Draft stoppers or door snakes, as you might know them by, are for use on the floor under and around doors but can also be used on windows. If you’re noticing heat is escaping via internal or external doors and your windows, you can buy inexpensive door snakes to add to your doors to help you block out the areas where air is escaping. You can buy them from your local stores or make your own. They’re pretty simple to make, too. Find the right size for your doors or window sills to help block gaps and increase energy efficiency around the home.

Weather Stripping

Weatherstripping is one of the most common ways people weatherize windows. You can purchase weatherstripping for moveable windows in foam rubber tubing, solid gaskets, aluminum, or vinyl. Each one has its pros and cons. Foam rubber tubing is cheaper to buy but relatively ineffective for more extreme drafts and colder weather. Vinyl is a more effective birth order to install, and adhesive-backed foam strips are simple to apply and flexible. In contrast, metal strips appear to suit older houses more in order to prevent air leaks.

Caulking

Caulk seals your windows to the surrounding walls and the glass in the frames in both windows and doors. Any deterioration in the caulk can open your home up to air leaks, even if you can’t feel them. Over time, holes, cracks, damage, wear, and tear can leave your home susceptible to reduced efficiency, and if not rectified, it can compromise the structural integrity of your windows and your energy usage.

Inspect your windows for any signs of cracks or holes both internally and externally. Use a piece of paper or flame to find any leaks that might not be visible to the naked eye, and then apply caulk to these areas to seal the gaps.

To replace the caulk, you need to use a putty knife or a screwdriver to remove the old caulk/ clean and dry the area, and then apply the new caulk where required.

Window Inserts

Window inserts, or internal storm windows, are customized inserts fitted snugly to the inside of your windows. When installed correctly, they provide a near-airtight seal, protect against UV rays and outside noise, and block out the cold.

Window inserts can be temporary or permanent and are often cheaper than installing new windows. Plus, federal tax credits usually help offset the cost of customized window inserts.

Cellular Blinds

Cellular blinds are more expensive than your usual type of blind, but if you’re looking for a realistic option for improving energy efficiency and weatherizing windows, they are a great option. They can reduce heat escaping through your windows in the colder months and also prevent heat from entering during the summertime, allowing for a more even heat control method for effective heating and cooling.

Thermal Curtains

Thermal curtains are an excellent choice for trapping air in the home. Normal curtains do provide some protection against air leaks, but thermal curtains, which have two to three layers of materials and a layer of acrylic foam, are more effective at stopping air leaks through windows. If you want to dress up your windows, thermal curtains can be effective on their own or as part of other window weatherizing options available.

Timber Shutters

Timber shutters have been proven to reduce heat loss by up to 51%. Shutters are an extremely popular interior covering, and homeowners looking for this style for their interiors can benefit from increased aesthetics as well as improved energy efficiency.

When it comes to weatherizing windows, there are plenty of options to protect your room and reduce heat loss. From cost-effective caulking options for leaks in window seals and door snakes to block gaps to the more expensive window inserts, timber shutters, and more, all of these options can be used alone or together for added impact to help you prepare your house for winter.