Plastic on windows...

[Beekissed]

Anyone here still put up plastic on their windows in an effort to conserve heat? I only have one room in which this is needed and I have to put the plastic outside the house due to the way the windows are designed. This is very effective in stopping drafts and keeping heat in.

I also do this in my chicken coop to cover some large windows.

I'm also venting my dryer inside this year. I heat with wood, so the added moisture to the air is needed and the laundry room is the coldest room in the house(farthest from the stove). To prevent the lint fibers from blowing out, I tape a panty hose leg on the end of the dryer hose. This switch allows me to block off the outside vent outlet to keep that cold air from coming in, returns that otherwise wasted heat to my home and also humidifies the air.

 

[1acrefarm]

I no longer use plastic on the windows but I buy those 1.00 tubes of caulk like crazy. When the temps drop I grab the caulk gun and go all over the house feeling for drafts. My windows are pretty tight now.

 

[ScottyG]

My wife barely escaped a house fire about 7 years ago, so the plastic on the windows thing kind of scares us for escape reasons. I suppose on certain kinds of windows we might be cool with it... Generally, we've just put in storm windows, and tried to get all the windows as tight-closing as possible before winter gets too bad.

 

[k0xxx]

When we first bought our home it had really drafty windows. One of the windows would actually move and rattle in the window frame when the wind blew hard. About a month into the first winter we put plastic over the windows and it made a BIG difference. That spring, we were fortunate to be able to afford to replace all of them with new double pane type.

However, I still use plastic on the tool shed, and the garden shed. Instead of using just a flat sheet, I use the large bubble wrap, and I place it on the inside. It works great.

 

[ebonykawai]

I do this every year, and I got replacement windows when we moved in 11 years ago. It still helps. It keeps the house very warm. I set my thermastat to 58 all winter, but we have baseboard heat so it stays warmer than that.

 

[patandchickens]

I really don't think that plastic film on the windows is going to slow ya down escaping from a fire - you can rip right through it with anything that has an edge or corner, I expect even your fingers if you are Motivated Enough.

I have used it on apartment windows in the past, but presently just do it on the basement windows. But I use bubblewrap instead of the shrinkable film, since down there I could care less what it looks like and the bubblewrap ought to provide slightly more insulation (plus DH brings it home, used, from work, so the only cost is the doublefaced tape).

Pat

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

We have a few windows we put it on, but not many.

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

We put plastic over the windows that have a few air leaks... about 2 winters ago we couldn't figure out why it was getting so cold in one room and went to a window and felt the draft. The plastic definitely helped keep the room warmer

 

[roosmom]

Beekissed, at present time there are only 2 windows that we would put plastic over. I used to cover all of them in plastic. I would put it on the inside tho. It never worked for me on the outside. I would buy that clear packing tape and a roll of plastic. I would cut the windows three inches larger than the inside trim. I would affix the tape above the trim, then I would lslide the plastic up under the tape (making sure there are no wrinkles anywhere and that I was all lined up with the sides) and press the tape down. Then I would do one side at a time. This is when you would trim the plastic (just a little) for a better fit over your trim. Then repeat as above. Making sure you draw it as tight as it will allow you to. I liked doing it like this because A you could see at least a little out of it and B you covered the whole hole so NO air leakage. Word of warning tho, if you have nice walls that you dont want sticky residue on or the paint peeled off then dont do it.

 

[ams3651]

I will be putting it on our back porch windows, It is an enclosed porch but no insulation and just screen and storm windows. My son plays out there, the sun warm s it in the morning but when the wind blows it goes right thru. Its not heated and i just use a space heater sometimes so hopefully the plastic will retain enough heat for him to play later in the day.