When I posted on Facebook that we put plastic on our windows this winter, the peanut gallery exploded with laughter. They couldn't believe how ghetto we'd stooped to save energy. There were more LOL's than I've seen in a long time. Well let me explain in a little more detail how we went about the project.

First of all, plastic window film has come a long way since the days of your dad nailing opaque 6 mil to the window frame. We all know that typical windows can be a huge source of energy loss so it was only natural to focus there. We thought about new windows, but the investment is huge and would take decades to re-coupe the expense. So we decided to look for other less expensive options and we felt this was a good alternative to new windows. 

The window film we used was Frost King purchased at Home Depot all for about $25 for our entire house. Fortunate for us we were able to plastic the screens on the outside which run full lenght of the window. Typically the plastic is installed on the inside, however I ran a test this last summer by covering one of our exterior screens with plastic and it held all summer long on a south facing window. We figured for the cost, why not give it a try?

We started with the bedrooms upstairs, pulling the screens out and giving them a thourough cleaning. Once the edges were cleaned we applied the double sided tape to the outside edge. Next we wrapped the plastic sheets around the outside of the screen and pulled tight against the sticky tape. Once it was as tight as we could get by hand we used the hair dryer on high heat which shrinks the plastic making a nice tight, clear surface. The excess is then trimmed with a utility knife leaving about an inch all around to create a seal when re-installed into the frame.

Overall the project took Erin and I working together 4 hours to do 15 windows. The results have been amaising from a comfort factor. The house feels much warmer and a-lot less drafty. The clear plastic is not really visible at all and quite frankly is an improvement over the look of just the screens. The savings were just about $35 for the billing period of December. I calculated this using the heating degree data vs November and dropping out the cost of the hot water heater. So, overall the project has been a resounding success and doesn't really look so ghetto after all...

To improve energy efficiency for an existing home, thermal images from an energy house inspection or home energy audit will reveal many of the leaks in the thermal envelop. After the review you will have a roadmap to proper weatherization. Whether you are the do it yourself, "DYI" person or want to hand off to a contractor or handyman, the roadmap will help you make the best decision first. Fixing whats found will greatly improve your comfort, savings and reduce your carbon footprint.