Window clear plastic insulators, any better/better value then others?

The last time I put it up, more then ten years ago, it was the 3m film that was heavily advertised. Now I'm going to try to convince the girlfriend who's renting a drafty old house to put some up as I think it would be worth it. Between Walmat/Home Depot/Lowes, etc., what might be a good choice and a good value for the dollar?

I have been trying to research online how America got dependent on foreign oil. I know there was a time, not too long ago (the 1960s?) where America could supply it's own energy demands. I guess I am naive and ignorant in such matters. In comparing with my grandfather, I'm sure my car gets much better gas mileage and although he heated with wood only, I imagine they must have had oil furnaces back then and they must have been much less efficient then today's offerings. I imagine I do probably use more electricity. I'm more concerned with the high cost of heating oil this winter then the higher cost of gas. Maybe the higher cost of gas will push people further to buy more efficient vehicles, car pool, use public transportation etc, but what about people who have to try to heat their homes with what they got? I'm afraid if heating oil goes and stays above $3 a gallon, there's going to be dire consequences with tough life choices being made in a lot of cases between food and warmth and it makes me sick to think about it. Something is wrong somewhere.

We have oil heat but long term we'll probably go to a geothermal heat pump. Since this will effectively make all our heating and cooling electrical, we'll have the flexibility to use solar energy should we install panels.

As for the windows, I can't give an answer about those films but I can say that going with new double or triple pane windows is really the best solution. Our oil usage dropped by about 1000 gallons a season once we did it. Incredible how much heat was lost through the old windows. Besides that, the old wood windows were a chore to clean (about 3 hours each), and the frames had to be painted. Given that new windows pay for themselves in a couple of seasons, installing them is really a no brainer. Even if you're renting, it's a good idea to try and convince the landlord to get new windows. They'll save money on heating and cooling costs. The tenant will save untold hours cleaning the windows. The property will look much better.

I just buy some local brand from Rona (like home depot), I really can't see what's the difference between different brands. One thing I learned thou is if where you live in windy, use tape to seal up the actual window first before install the film, or it'll balloon up and unglue if the wind is blowing hard enough.

What kind of tape should one use to seal the window up?

jzmtl said:

I just buy some local brand from Rona (like home depot), I really can't see what's the difference between different brands. One thing I learned thou is if where you live in windy, use tape to seal up the actual window first before install the film, or it'll balloon up and unglue if the wind is blowing hard enough.

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I used the clear 2" wide packaging tape, the glue is a bit hard to take off in spring but nothing brake cleaner can't handle.

They also sell a similar looking tape labeled specifically for sealing up windows, not sure how well that'll work, ask a clerk in your store to see if they have those.

Look at the price per window for your film (I know some of that stuff is not cheap).

Then look at ordering double pane, low E, vinyl windows were around $100 each (couple years ago--with oil going up, they are probably more expensive now). They make a huge difference in our temperate climate.

If they are regular wooden over under vertical sliding windows--they are not that hard to change (just remove the trim--I prefer the inside--and the stops and pull the old windows out, do a bit of wood trimming, caulk and slide the new one in). If they are aluminum frame and/or in stucco--lots more work to get well sealed windows.

If you have a couple of rooms that you like to keep warm--like a bedroom and a kitchen--change those first and see how you like it.

Also, if you have noisy neighbors--the new windows can really help too.

-Bill

If you are in a very cold or hot area, triple pain windows sound nice.

BB said:

Look at the price per window for your film (I know some of that stuff is not cheap).

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Not to mention also that those films look like crap, and it's a cleanup chore to take them off each spring. Besides that, it keeps you from opening the windows when you have warmer days in the winter. Replacement windows make much more sense once you factor the cost of those window films over several seasons, and the headache removing and reinstalling them.

It's a rented house, she's only hopes to be there a year or so and I don't think the landlord currently is going to spring for new windows. That's why I asked about the plastic covers although of course, replacing the windows is a better long term solution.

geepondy said:

It's a rented house, she's only hopes to be there a year or so and I don't think the landlord currently is going to spring for new windows. That's why I asked about the plastic covers although of course, replacing the windows is a better long term solution.

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In that case she should just buy one or more of those little ceramic heaters to get through the winter comfortably. Same result as the window films, cheaper, and she can take the heaters with her when she moves.