Solar window coverings, again

 Back in July, there was a discussion about how to insulate windows against the
cold.

Now that fall weather has arrived, has anyone tried the solar blankets or the
Carol Wright "solar curtains?"

We caulked around the outside of our windows in the summer, and have done so for
the inside recently.  Still cold.


Thanks for any insight,
Turtlelvoer

  turtlelover wrote:

   I think that will be most effective against solar heat gain. That may
be a mixed bag at keeping the room warm. At least that's the case with a
friend who has metallic curtains.

   I've been using bubble wrap on windows that benefit from solar gain,
reflectic (foiled bubble wrap) or polyisocyanuraturate sheets cut to fit
in windows I don't look out. On some, I've even just stuffed in some
more conventional insulation.

   On windows I need to look out of I've made some interior "storm
windows" out of vinyl shower curtain liner. Transparent and durable.

   All this has made a huge improvement in heat loss, but it may not be
aesthetically satisfactory to some (or most).

   I have an old house though, and a lot of windows, so I needed to do
something.

   Jeff

 
I'm looking at magnetic storm windows.

You can do it yourself, with a kit. You install a metal strip around
the window, buy plexiglas cut to fit and install magnetic molding
around the plexiglas. The magentic fit should keep it airtight, and
the plexiglas itself has better thermal resistance than glass.
Magnetite is what I am looking at.

James

 
There also used to be (and maybe still is) a product for the inside.
You tacked this plastic film around the window trim, then gently
heated it.  It shrank tight so it didn't show much, but it made
another layer of air.  It should work some.

I'm using pleated window shades to stop some drafting, though my issue
is heat gain in summer, not loss in winter.

 On Oct 22, 11:23 pm, websu...@cox.net wrote:

Essentially the shrink film does help with sealing leaks and adding a
layer of air. The advantage of the magnetic storms is that the
plexiglas adds more insulation itself, and is reusable. Insulation
works both ways, should help in summer as well, although if I was
doing magnetic storms for summer, I would chose a tinted versus clear
- you can get plexiglas that is specifically tineted to lower the
solar transfer.

James