In this instructable I will show you how to make an INDOOR storm window that will keep plenty of cold out of a room, while letting light continue to come in. My version uses less than $4 worth of supplies, mostly from the DOLLAR TREE store.
THE STORY :)
I moved into an apartment on the 3rd floor. all windows were single pane. The building was built in about 1970, so there was poor insulation, and only single pane sliding glass windows.
It was very cold the first night and the pipes nearly froze in the bathroom. the window rattled and I knew I was in trouble.
By creating my bubble wrap storm window, I was able to raise the temperature in the room 15 degrees F in the first hour. As you can imagine the savings and comfort increased rapidly.
As you can see I do have some depth to the window so making this work was kind of easy. I suppose using clear tape , magnets, velcro etc, you might find another way to put a storm window of this type in place.
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In picture 2 you can see I bought clear tape and 1ft by 6ft rolls of bubble wrap from the Dollar Tree, (where everything is actually $1.00). I then found 2 wire coat hangers and unwound them to make a frame for the project.
I first rolled out two 6ft rolls side by side and taped down the middle. I actually bought 3 rolls, more on that later.
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UPDATE.. I have found the tape in a shower setting typically lasts one season. I think the time to remake it is well worth it..
The cost is still in the area of $2.50-$3.00 to do the project. If you are lucky enough to find free bubble wrap you can likely do a window for under a $1.
I have saved a ton of heat and a lot of discomfort from cold air while trying to take a shower. I also believe it has helped the shower pipes in the wall near by not to freeze and break.
Funny the apartment complex has a sign as you drive in the driveway.. :"leave your bathroom faucet on trickle to prevent freeze up" I Think I have found a better solution.
My instructable about weather sealing a sliding window is not so glamorous but still helps ALOT for very low money. Sorry the pictures on that one do not do it justice. :)
Peace, Bryan
Thanks for the ible.
I'm sorry I didn't see your post for so many months. YES I will check out craigslist for bubble wrap. IM about to do another version of the bubble wrap storm window. IT worked so well that I want to try and improve it a bit more.
Pool Noodles. I have seen those and have been dreaming of ways to use them. One I thought of was to use them on the edge of coffee tables, head boards so that they dont mar the wall if accidently bumped. I know that sounds over board but it might work.
Those noodles I would think would work great as pipe insulation. Actually as I recall they are a bit thicker if I am not mistaken.
Nice to hear from you.
Bryan
I've taped it over most of the window but it does not quite cover the edges of the glass (nor does the tape run the length of the wrap's edges). I've also not necessarily taped all the strips of bubble-wrap together along their lengths (I'm doing a lot of windows...)
Your talk of eddy currents is making me worried that not completely covering the glass will make the whole installation pointless. Is this a legitimate/reasonable concern?
Also, what if the bubble-wrap does not COMPLETELY cover the whole surface of the window (but almost all of it) but it's is properly sealed along the edges? Is that better, or also pointless?
If its sealed, I would say something is better than nothing
http://www.instructables.com/id/Weather-Strip-a-window-on-the-cheap/
I have also used the 3M clear plastic sheet. I steered away from it due to tape in the wet shower conditions.
Keep in mind the bubble wrap keeps eddy currents in the air gap from moving due to temperature differences as heat molecules transfer places. if you can keep the eddy's under control you have greater insulation R values.
According to one of my professors an air gap of 3-4 inches or less makes this happen (keeping eddy's under control) this a double pane glass or triple pane situation.
a crude 'visual'
[outside] [screen] [3 inches] [window-pane flush with wall] [indoors]
do you think this will work if i place it right up against the screen?
[outside] [screen] [bubblewrap insulation] [2 inches] [window-pane flush with wall] [indoors]
being from michigan, you already know what kind of weather we get out here. i don't know if the bubblewrap can last exposed like that.
see my answer below, I used it folded over, tape the edges on all three open sides.
i'll give this bubblewrap a try since it seems to be an easy and inexpensive 'fix'.
It will actually work better due to the inside air space. being STILL AIR. you might have to create a falls frame say the outside of a card board box to keep the wrap up against the screen and keep the 2 inch space open..
let me know what you think..
I live in Wisconsin and my winters are horrendous, measure windows and cut wrap to fit your window. THE EASY PART,
MUST PUT WATER ON IT AND APPLY THE WRAP. THATS IT! ! ! ! It keeps out the cold radiating from each window. Course you cannot see outside but the light still comes in. Great for bathrooms if you want to keep your neighbors from looking in
In my old house I would use peices of R-11 fiberglass batting in the basement windows.. I know that is sort of over kill but hey I was never down there.
Windows to me are like open holes as far as heat loss goes.
Most of my north windows were well insulated during the winter months as they yielded zero gain as far as sun was concerned.
Bryan
This: https://zeorymeromega.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/polyethylene-foam-closeup.jpg
It's the best stuff for insulating pretty much anything, as it's essentially free (can be dug out of a variety of skips in large quantities), very insulative, and with a reasonably high melting point. I tested the last two by putting some over my hand and pouring boiling water on it. Felt slightly warm...
This material is a mm or two thick and completely flexible.
I sure could have used this a few years ago when I lived in a huge house heated by an oil furnace. All of the oddly-sized single pane wood-framed windows had serious leaks. After the first $600 fill-up I shut off the heat to most of the 5 zones in the house and kept the thermostat at 15 degrees C (60 degrees F) all winter (and this is in Canada). I was having "cash flow" problems (all my money was tied up in real estate :p) and I tried (and failed) to come up with a cheap solution to this problem. Ironically I now live in an apartment where I have the opposite problem - heat and hot water are included in my rent. but the place is always so hot that I keep the thermostat off and appreciate the ill-fitting windows.
I had a house in Michigan. when I first moved in it had no attic insulation, no sidewall or bandjoist insulation.. the yearly oil bill was $2,500.00 for only a 24x30ft house.. YIKES..
that was 14 years ago. I wrapped the water heater. put an R-38 in the attic, and R-17 in the sidewalls. the first years winter heat bills after that were a total of $235.00
when I first moved in I could stand 3 feet from an outside wall and feel cold radiating off the walls. YES insulation helps! btw I used to live in Edmonton Alberta.
If it were not an apartment I would do the work to replace/caulk/seal it. but I dont dare violate my lease by trying to fix it myself.
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/bubblewrap.htm
Im thinking a more rigid frame of wood or aluminium strip stock would allow the film to be drawn taut and look a bit more "finished."
Secure the frames with some sort of removable fastener or cleat, and then store them in a closet or attic once winter is passed. They would take up very little room that way.
Great idea.
I'll definitely be trying this, because the bubble wrap seems like it would be a decent deterrent to my cats, since I've had a "bad" habit of randomly walking up behind them and popping bubble wrap for as long as I've had both of 'em. >:D