Winter coming. Do you guys put plastic on your windows?
- Thread starter Gamble
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The lanlord redid everything in the house even new windows. We are the first to live in it and I am not sure what kind he got but they SUCK
Ah I never knew they had those. Maybe a good option. As long as he doesn't mind us drilling holes in the trim.
swear by what?
Try to feel for any drafts. If theyre worth a crap there shouldn't be much of a draft...
Hold a lighter up to the window and see how many reflections you see in it, if you see two you have double pane glass, if you see three it's triple pane. They should be at least double pane in our area.
I'm in the middle of doing another bedroom in my house because the wall insulation was brutal. Unfortunately I also got stalled because I had to completely redo the electrical in there because the guy who did it is a hack....
If you have decent double pane or better windows that film won't do much of anything really.
Hold a lighter up to the window and see how many reflections you see in it, if you see two you have double pane glass, if you see three it's triple pane. They should be at least double pane in our area.
I'm in the middle of doing another bedroom in my house because the wall insulation was brutal. Unfortunately I also got stalled because I had to completely redo the electrical in there because the guy who did it is a hack....
If you have decent double pane or better windows that film won't do much of anything really.
Plastic will help even on newer windows. It's another layer of dead air space that will add efficiency. If you don't think it will help, try to imagine having no window at all. The wall is (usually) thicker and will be a better insulator. That layer of plastic acts similarly, more thickness to act as a buffer between the inside and out. Not just for drafts. You could have single or quadruple pane windows and if the install is shit then you will still have the same problem.
If the tape isn't sticking, then you may need to do some cleaning to remove any dust or other stuff that is keeping the tape from sticking. Done well and using a hair dryer or heat gun you can make it so that the plastic is nearly invisible. Takes some time to do right though - just because the window plastic kits are cheap doesn't mean you can throw the stuff up in 5 minutes and expect a good job.
FWIW, I have lived in Maine, Alaska, Michigan and Illinois and have experience with using plastic on the windows in all of those places. If you have modern triple pane stuff then it will obviously not help as much as lesser glass but will still have a benefit, it's just additional insulation.
If the tape isn't sticking, then you may need to do some cleaning to remove any dust or other stuff that is keeping the tape from sticking. Done well and using a hair dryer or heat gun you can make it so that the plastic is nearly invisible. Takes some time to do right though - just because the window plastic kits are cheap doesn't mean you can throw the stuff up in 5 minutes and expect a good job.
FWIW, I have lived in Maine, Alaska, Michigan and Illinois and have experience with using plastic on the windows in all of those places. If you have modern triple pane stuff then it will obviously not help as much as lesser glass but will still have a benefit, it's just additional insulation.
I purposly bought a house built less than 10 years ago so I never have to deal with this crap.
Fwiw, my fathers house has shitty single-pane Windows and he tried the plastic and didn't notice any improvement, now granted the widows weren't drafty, just not a modern dual pane so maybe that's what the plastic is supposed to help with
Fwiw, my fathers house has shitty single-pane Windows and he tried the plastic and didn't notice any improvement, now granted the widows weren't drafty, just not a modern dual pane so maybe that's what the plastic is supposed to help with
everything was cheap as hell back then that's why they used single pane no fucks given windows. My house used to have 5 original 1960s single pane aluminum windows. They were so bad in winter they would form ice/snow on the warm side from the heated air condensing 
The key with using plastic is the airtight seal as z28camaro pointed out. The plastic is pointless without this seal, because it creates a thermal air barrier between the warm and cold side. When I started using plastic I saw a major improvement (no more ice and drafts).
As pointed out, newer windows should not need this as long as they were properly installed, meaning an air tight seal on the outside perimeter of the frame.
The key with using plastic is the airtight seal as z28camaro pointed out. The plastic is pointless without this seal, because it creates a thermal air barrier between the warm and cold side. When I started using plastic I saw a major improvement (no more ice and drafts).
As pointed out, newer windows should not need this as long as they were properly installed, meaning an air tight seal on the outside perimeter of the frame.
We have double pane glass at work. They don't seal for shit. We use the film on the windows every year. It helps out tremendously. If you are not sure if you need them buy one kit to seal a window or two. See if you can feel a difference. Then decide if you think it is worth doing more windows in the house.
I have a home built in the mid 1950's. It had single pane, aluminum frame windows. They were horrible. You could walk next to them and tell what the temperature was outside. lol I could hold a match by the frame and watch it dance around. Horrible. I upgraded a few years back and what a huge difference. It is even much quieter in the house as you don't hear passing cars, people walking and talking outside and so on. So worth the money.
everything was cheap as hell back then that's why they used single pane no fucks given windows. My house used to have 5 original 1960s single pane aluminum windows. They were so bad in winter they would form ice/snow on the warm side from the heated air condensing
.
I have a home built in the mid 1950's. It had single pane, aluminum frame windows. They were horrible. You could walk next to them and tell what the temperature was outside. lol I could hold a match by the frame and watch it dance around. Horrible. I upgraded a few years back and what a huge difference. It is even much quieter in the house as you don't hear passing cars, people walking and talking outside and so on. So worth the money.
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