Ways to Winterize Your Windows this Season
Save money and energy with tips from our latest blog…
In winter, particularly in Canada, staying warm is a top priority, so at this time of year it’s important to prioritize getting your home ready for the cold. The ideal way to do this is to insulate certain areas in your home, especially the windows, which is where a considerable amount of heat energy is often lost. To help you with this we’ve put together a list of some of the different window treatments you can use to insulate your home effectively and lower your energy bills during the winter months!
Window Dressing
The glass on your windows doesn’t slow down heat transfer, which means your windows are among the weakest point in your home when it comes to heat loss. Using insulated window coverings on your windows will give them a higher heat-saving capacity. When choosing these window coverings, drapes, or shades, consider products that have R-values on them. The window covering with the highest R-value will have the highest insulating capacity.
Window Insulation Films
Window insulation films are usually plastic shrink films that you apply to the interior of your windows. You can do this by yourself following instructions from the manufacturer or hire a professional to do it for you. The insulation films work by trapping the heat from your home’s interior and keeping it indoors. This ensures the glass panes don’t lose a considerable amount of heat energy from the interior of your home. There are different insulation films for different types of windows, including skylights.
Showy Window Shades
You can use basic window shades to save some energy in the winter months. You will have to mount them as close as possible to your window glass panes. In addition, you should have the sides of the window shade come as close to the wall as possible. Doing this will help seal in the air and minimize heat loss. Dual window shades are also recommended for insulation purposes. These shades are heat-absorbing on one side, usually the indoor side, and reflective on the other. Roman shades or quilted roller shades with sealed edges and fiber batting can also work. If you have any south-facing window shades, raise them during the winter day then lower them as the sunlight starts fading in the late afternoons or early evenings to maximize your energy efficiency.
Storm Windows
Storm windows can also insulate your home against excessive indoor heat loss in winter. While these windows don’t specifically provide the insulation, they prevent the movement of air through single-pane windows. Storm windows come in wide variety. They can be in the form of low emissivity high quality glass designed to reduce the transmission of heat, or duel-paned with gas chambers to slow heat transfer.
Weather Stripping
Weather stripping serves to close any gaps on your window frame and keep out drafts. The strips come in open-cell foam, rubber, vinyl, metal, and felt. Felt is usually inexpensive and easy to apply but is less durable because it does not withstand moisture. For effectiveness in sealing air leaks, go for magnetic strips. However, they will cost you more. Installation involves cutting down long strips to fit your window dimensions and then peeling and sticking them to the framing.
As you can see, there are many options for helping to save heat, energy, and money during the winter months. For more information on what winterized solution may work best for your windows, please contact one of our window covering experts at (905) 660-1127 or find us online at amazingwindowfashions.com.
