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Window Energy Efficiency:

Whether you live in a mountain cottage, a craftsman style home, or a trendy old downtown factory that was converted to lofts the problem of energy efficiency remains the same. Single pane windows are just not useful in keeping heat in or out. This, among many other problems with these types of living situations, is one of the main ways that you can over spend on your heating bill every winter. Fortunately, there are several ways to eliminate, or at least curb, the amount of heat energy your home is wasting.

Window Replacement:

The first most obvious way to fix old windows would be to completely replace them. Unfortunately, this may not be an option if you like the look and feel of your ancient windows or it may simply be too much of an expense to replace all your in efficient glass windows and doors(yea, don’t forget the doors, their expensive), or maybe you live in a rental and your landlord is cheap. Price and other negative factors aside new windows are probably the best long term more energy efficient solution. With low-e glass, multiple insulated panes of glass, and functionality like you have never seen before new windows have so many other benefits it’s a difficult choice to pass up.

Window Film:

Window film is less costly than window replacement, but still seems to be a rather expensive, especially if you have a lot of windows or glass doors. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about the science behind window film. The reflective properties and tinted films seem to have obvious applications for keeping out summer heat and direct sunshine but several window films claim to have insulating properties for winter energy conservation as well.

Is the trade off worth it? For example I have a large, three panel, sliding glass door that goes out onto a balcony facing southeast and gets indirect to direct sun for most of the day. This is a major cooling problem in the summer when it can easily get 10 to 15 degrees warmer in that room than elsewhere in the house. But in the winter I welcome opening the curtains and letting the sunshine in all day and give me all that free heat. So, again, is the trade off using window film worth loosing the positive effects of winter sun heat in order to gain maybe 15% heat retention at night? I think the answer has to do with the specific location of your windows, but it’s something to consider before you cover everything with film.

Here are some of the window film solutions I found for window film at the big box home improvement stores.

Energy Film - Retain More Winter Heat!

Artscape (Home Depot) Energy Film Window Film:
Size: various sizes.. 48″x84″, 24″x48″, 36″x48″
Cost: $17.98 – $34.98 depending on size
Tinted: No (I think I would prefer this non-tinted version to the other window films I found)
U Value: ? Does not say (Claims: Saves up to 12-18% of annual energy costs, so it should be comparable to the other insulating window films out there.)
Product description: “Energy Film is a thin, transparent window film that provides immediate year-round energy savings by retaining interior heat in the winter and blocking solar heat in the summer. Energy film is an inexpensive and easy way to make the home or office more energy efficient while providing UV protection. It is easy to apply and uses no adhesives.”

Gila (Lowes) Heat Control Platinum Window Film: (no picture available online,    Lowes)
Size: 3′ x 15′ = 45sq.ft. (probably enough to cover 4 windows or so)
Cost: $35.88 (online price)
Tinted: Yes (this could be bad in the winter when the days are shorter anyway, but it claims it’s only a very light tint, so maybe it’s ok)
U Value: .82 (The U-Value rating measures overall heat transfer coefficient and shows how well a building element conducts heat.  So, as far as I understand it, this product would make your windows transfer aproxamately 18% less heat in or out, depending on the season. Please let me know if I’m wrong about this.)

Product description: “Reflect up to 70% of sun’s heat.  Retains winter heat.  Blocks up to 99% UV rays to reduce fading.  Light tint won’t block your view.  Safe for dual panes. Installs in minutes, detailed instructions included.”

Window Film Application Kit

Home Depot also has a “Complete Window Film Application Kit” which I would say is total crap because you probably have most of the stuff included already and about $9 it really isn’t worth it.

Do-It-Yourself Plastic Window Cover:

The third option is simple plastic covering for your windows. Polyethylene Film most commonly sold as a moisture barrier or a drop cloth comes in several thicknesses from about .3-mil to 6-mil, the higher the number the thicker the plastic. This option is not going to let you see through the window because these plastic sheets are generally all translucent white, so it will still let light in. I would probably use a 4 or 6 mil sheet. I have actually seen up to 1.5 mil sheets that are clear (at Lowes), but I don’t know if that will be sufficient in thickness to be worth putting up.

Amazing CLEAR Duct Tape!

Installation can be as simple or complicated as you want, but just remember to seal around the edges of the plastic in one way or another, duct tape works well for sealing but will peal paint and probably leave a sticky mess, not to mention it’s kinda ugly, but than again so are the plastic sheets you are putting over your windows.  Amazingly you can now get CLEAR duct tape!

However you choose to put up your window insulation contraption all the supplies you need are either in the paint or flooring department at Home Depot. Strange, I know, but I worked at a depot for a while so, sadly, I still know where they keep everything.