How to Insulate Your Windows with Plastic
This winter, keep heat in and cold out by sealing your windows with plastic.
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You Will Need
- A blow-dryer
- Plastic wrap
- Double-sided tape
- Dry-cleaning bags
- Bubble Wrap
Steps
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Plastic can be dangerous. To avoid danger of suffocation, handle with care and keep away from babies and children.
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Step 1
Get an insulation kit
Go to your local hardware store and get an indoor window insulation kit. It will provide double-sided tape and sheets of shrink-wrap plastic that, when affixed to your windows according to the accompanying instructions, provide a weather seal you can see through.
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If you don’t care about visibility and appearance, plastic dry-cleaning bags and duct tape will do the trick; just slit the bags open, cut them to size, and tape them over the windows.
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Step 2
Wash your windows
Wash and dry your windows. The plastic wrap won’t cling as well to a dirty surface.
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Step 3
Take measurements
Measure your window frames, and then measure and cut the plastic to match, leaving a little wiggle room. You can always trim later with an Exacto knife.
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Step 4
Tape around the windows
Press double-sided tape on the outside edge of the molding. Take care not to stick the tape to the wall.
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Step 5
Attach the plastic
Firmly attach the edges of the plastic sheet to the tape, smoothing the sheet down as you go. Then run a hot blow-dryer back and forth over the plastic sheet so that the heat shrinks it, forming a tighter seal.
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Leave one window in each room unwrapped as a fire escape.
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Step 6
Slap on Bubble Wrap
For an even easier insulator, try Bubble Wrap: Just mist your windows with water and slap it on; it will stick until you take it off.
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Drafty windows can increase your heating bill by 30 percent.
