Poor window insulation is one of the primary culprits of household energy loss. Extreme outdoor temperatures can infiltrate your home as warm indoor air escapes through your windows as well as the area around them.
Signs You Need Window Insulation
You can tell that your windows need additional insulation if:
- your home gets too cold during the winter,
- a chill hits you every time you walk past the windows,
- it's difficult to open and close the windows,
- the window surface rattles whenever it's windy,
- breezes blow the curtains despite the windows being closed.
Fortunately, you can use the simple tips below to insulate your windows against extreme temperatures.
4 Window Insulation Tips
- Use window film insulation — Window film forms a barrier between your windows and home's interior, hindering air infiltration. You can easily attach it to the indoor window frame using double-sided tape. Tighten the film by lightly blowing warm air over it with a hairdryer.
- Fill gaps with window seals — Foam, silicone, and vinyl window seals fill the gaps around your windows. You can nail them into place or use self-adhesive backing. They're excellent draft-killers and can withstand temperature fluctuations.
- Seal small cracks with rope caulk — This non-hardening putty is typically sold as a roll that you can cut to the desired size and press into holes and cracks that are too tiny for window seals. Rope caulk is also useful for sealing leaky window sashes.
- Cover your windows with thermal curtains — These feature a special thermal backing that keeps warm air indoors.
When Should You Insulate Your Windows?
Ideally, you should inspect the insulation around your windows before the cold winter weather sets in. However, because at that time it may be challenging to identify improperly-sealed windows due to indoor and outdoor temperatures being almost equal, you may wait until it's time to turn on your heating system.
Maintaining proper window insulation will go a long way toward keeping your home comfortable and your heating bills low. For more information about insulation and any other home comfort needs in the Fort Wayne area, contact the experts at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 260-376-2961.