Plastic window insulation kits can save energy on both heating and cooling and lower your utility bills by providing an insulating barrier of trapped air and keeping out any drafts.
To install plastic window insulation kits:
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- Clean the surfaces on the window casing.
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- Apply double-sided tape to the window casing around the perimeter of the inside of the window.
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- Remove the paper backing on the tape.
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- Spread out the sheet of plastic and attach it to the tape with as few wrinkles as possible.
- Use the heat from a hair blow dryer to shrink the plastic for a tight fit.
Watch this video to find out more.
Further Information
- Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Home (article)
- Eight Great Ways To Save On Heating Costs (article)
- How to Insulate Attic Stairs in Your Home (video)
- How to Make a Draft Dodger for Doors and Windows (article)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
The first step in applying a window insulating kit is cleaning the surfaces where it will be attached. Next, you apply the two-sided tape that comes with kits around the entire perimeter of the window. Once you remove the backing on the tape, you’re ready to spread out the clear plastic film and attach it to the tape.
It can be pulled off and repositioned if necessary, but it’s best to get it lined up before you begin attaching it. Even though you want to stretch as tight as possible, there will still be wrinkles that obscure your view, so the final step is heat the plastic with an ordinary blow dryer. As the plastic heats up it will shrink, removing the wrinkles and preserving your view while it seals your window.
The windows in our apartment are drafty and the winters feature high wind that inevitably burst the plastic at the seams. We have been using mailing tape as an additional reinforcement but that inevitably peels the paint. Do you have an alternate recommendation that would be gentler on the paint than mailing tape to prevent peeling on removal, and would in general to be easy to remove without marking or staining the tape?
Thank you,
Robert Ferguson
We have tried for two years now to put plastic over our large picture window. Each year the plastic pops off from the tape.
Is there a solution to this?
How do you get the plastic of the door kit to go over the handles on the door??
Hi, Debby!
This article pertains to The Duck Brand’s window insulation.
We recommend contacting the manufacturer for product-specific questions about items we haven’t covered.
Here’s where you can do that: https://www.duckbrand.com/contact
Good luck!
I do every winter, because I like our 90 year old oak windows
Thanks for sharing your experience with the TodaysHomeowner.com community, Kitty!