Green in 365: Winter – Weatherproof Your Windows

This is Day 14 of the Green in 365 series!

This week we’re going to be focusing on easy ways you can go green during the winter. We’ve had a fairly mild winter so far this year here in Northern Indiana, and did last year as well. (Not sure if that’s a blessing, or evidence of climate change?) But we still have at least a few months of colder temperatures ahead of us here, so we’ve been using these ideas around our home.

 

Green Winter: Weatherproof Your Windows

One easy way that you can protect your house against the harsh temperatures of winter, and keep your warm air inside and the cold air outside, is to weatherproof your windows, especially if you have older windows like we do at our house.

First of all, if you have storm windows for your older windows, be sure to install them for the wintertime to add an extra layer of insulation on the outside.

Then you can apply an insulating plastic layer to your windows for an extra layer of insulation on the inside. There are lots of different brands out there, but the basic idea is that you apply double-sided tape to the trim around your windows, cut a piece of large plastic sheeting to fit over your window, press down and apply the plastic to the tape, and then heat with a hair dryer to stretch and shrink the plastic to fit your window tightly.

This extra layer of plastic insulation doesn’t look the prettiest, but it still allows the natural light to come in through the windows, and you can still see through the plastic and the windows to the outside.  Because it is so much grayer and darker during the winter time here, I have found that I look out my windows much less often, and unless the sun is really shining, I will keep most of my window coverings closed during the day anyway, to add another extra layer of insulation.

*Tip: If you have blinds on your windows that get in the way of the plastic, you can actually put the plastic over the blinds and make small holes to pull the cords through. This way you can still open your blinds, or pull them up and down, while also insulating your windows.

Another important step to weatherproof your windows is to properly caulk them all the way around to make sure that they are not leaking cold air in through cracks around the trim.

One way you can check for cracks and leaks is to light a candle and move it around the edge of your windows, (make sure that the furnace and any fans are not running while you do the test). If the flame flickers, then you know you have leak around your windows.

You can add weather proofing tape or silicone caulk all around your windows and trim to seal them and eliminate leaks, which will also help with keeping the hot air out, and cool air in during the summer months.

Do you weatherproof your windows for the winter months?

Find all the Green in 365 posts.

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