I live in a old house with lots of windows. How can I insulate the windows without changing them?

Question

I cannot afford to change the windows to thermal windows. So, is there any other way to insulate them?

Answer 1

If your window has storm windows, use these. Those are thick plastic (usually... might be glass) windows that are right near the screen.

If you don't have those, use this thick plastic insulator. My house was built in 1834, so I know old houses. Go to Lowes, Home Depot, or another home maintenance store and try to find them :).

If you don't feel like spending money. Use an old towel or sheet (thicken the sheet), and hang it up on the window.

OR... use a towel and put it in front of the window, like, roll it up and but it where the window would close.

Answer 2

cover them with clear plastic

Answer 3

Add storm windows on the exterior

Answer 4

Just pick up some weatherstripping or chaulk.  Home Depot or Lowe's can tell you how to do it when you purchase the stuff.  :)

Answer 5

Hi Chris,

Sure, you can use the two pronged approach.

First get clear plastic and use painters  or masking tape to seal it all the way around the window.  (You can buy clear plastic from the home improvement stores from a large roll of plastic, then just cut it to the size of your windows.  Attach it to the inside so the elements won't weaken the tape seal.)  This will act much like a second pane of glass.  The difference is in the winter when it is windy, you will actually see the plastic move as the wind blows.  This shows how much you are blocking with the plastic.

Second is get some heavy thermal curtains.  They are not as effective as the plastic, but they do help, and in the summertime when you remove the plastic, they are a big help if is hot in your area.

The two solutions used together should give you very good insulation.  I used this two pronged approach for many years and it really helped cut down on how cold the rooms were in winter, and kept us cooler in summer.  The benefit of the plastic is you can still see through it, and get out quickly if necessary.  One tip, is to lightly use a blow dryer after the plastic is taped.  This will cause the plastic to shrink a little, so you don't see any wrinkles, it becomes see through.

Heating costs will most likely be much higher this winter, so you are smart to be finding solutions early.

Answer 6

Try using heavy drapery...this will help block heat from the sun and keep cold air in. And vise versa for winter.

Answer 7

Plastic, visqueen, or storm windows screwed to the o.s. Just be able to get yourself out in case of fire or whatever.