Saving heat with window shrink

[Max]

Hi Folks,

Are those heatshrink window treatments good? I saw them in Home Depot yesterday and I thought that I might give them a try.

Cheers, Max

[LazyPup]

It really depends upon the quality of your windows. If you have modern double pane or triple pane windows you should not require the wrap, but if you have older single pane windows with wooden frames the odds are you have some serious draft problems as well as heat loss from direct convection through the glass. In this case the film can make a substantial difference because infiltration losses through doors, windows or other openings in the wall can account for up to 50% of your total heat loss.

The formation of condensate moisture between the window and the plastic film is unavoidable therefore, properly when plastic films are used as storm windows it should be placed on the outside, not on the inside because the outside of the window is painted or treated to resist moisture, which is not necessarily the case on the inside wood work.

[Max]

Thanks, LP. I have no evidence in hand to suggest otherwise so I have to assume that our windows are as old as the house which is about 24years. All the windows are double paned but (1) they have wooden frames, and (2) they often feel cold to the touch.

Our house always feels colder than my wife's parent's house and yet in a similar period of time we used twice as much gas as they did (38therms vs. 75therms). Our house is larger than theirs but we have 3 heating zones so it should be easier to just heat the areas that we need i.e. save money, but it's not working out that way. I can think of some other problems. The room we hang out in the most is the family room. It is above the garage and exposed to the elements on three walls. We have a chimney for a fireplace that we never use and I'll bet we lose some heat up there. There is a large bay window overlooking the front lawn and a pair of sliding doors that lead out onto the 3-season porch. The room also has a cathedral ceiling. I think all those elements combined help keep our house feeling colder. It is our intention to see about having a wood stove inserted into the fireplace and using that as an addition, safer heat source. We don't use our fireplace just now because it's a pain to light and usually ends up smoking out the house. Cleaning it might be enough but I've read how inefficient fireplaces (even posted some of my woes here) and I just think a stove would be better for the job.

Cheers, Max

[SSN596]

I have single pane, aluminum frame windows, and get a lot of condensation on the inside. I am getting ready to put the shrink=fit storm window on a couple of windows that we never need to open. I am wondering if I will get condensation between the film and the window; I am going to try is soon and will let you know.

[midwest]

I use the 3M brand on my double pane windows inside the house. Cuts down the condensation by 95% and makes the house feel a lot warmer.