How To Independently Insulate Windows For The Winter, Various Methods, Tips, Recommendations (with Video)

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Insulation of windows for the winter

As you know, in winter it is through the windows that most of the heat leaves the room, which means that they need to be insulated as quickly as possible. In addition, it is quite easy to do it yourself, and such insulation is inexpensive.

Our ancestors also knew how to properly fill up the cracks in the windows so that the house was warm in winter, and it took a little firewood. Nowadays, plastic double-glazed windows are used much more often, and manufacturers claim that they do not release heat at all, nevertheless, buyers have a completely different opinion on this matter: "All the same, it blows from plastic windows."

It's getting colder, and it's time to take care of keeping warm. Therefore, today we will consider options for insulation for all types of windows so that in winter the comfort does not leave your home.

Content

• 1 Thermal insulation of wooden windows
• 2 What if the windows are old? Insulation of old wooden windows
• 3 Insulation of plastic windows
• 4 Insulation of window slopes: choice of materials
• 5 The process of insulating slopes
• 6 Window insulation using Swedish technology

Thermal insulation of wooden windows

Many people choose not to replace traditional wooden windows with plastic ones. But it is wooden windows that require special care and thorough insulation every winter. For this, there are several of the most common methods of insulating wooden windows:

• Windows are sealed with strips of paper or tape. This is not always practical: if you need to open the window, then you will have to re-seal it, and it is difficult to get rid of traces of glue;
• Putty is used for insulation. It can melt and flow at high temperatures, staining both the window sill and the frame;
• Strips of cotton wool or fabric are hammered into slots in the frames. Also not the most practical option.

But we will consider an option that looks aesthetically pleasing and will serve you reliably for many years

First of all, you should stock up on the necessary materials. There are only two of them, and they are readily available at any hardware store or hardware store:

• Frost resistant silicone sealant, colorless or matching the frame color;
• Sticky rubber seal.

To find out how much gasket you need, measure the perimeter of all the doors, fold and divide by 2. The gasket is sold in double form, and we will glue it in 1 row, dividing it into two layers.

Your main task is to get rid of the draft. First, glue the glass. To do this, apply a thin strip of sealant to the joints of the glass and the frame, and then gently run along the seam with a rubber spatula. In this way, glue all the glass on both the inner and outer frames.

Now you need to glue all the flaps around the perimeter with a rubber seal from the outside. Since the seal has a large cross-section, and it is easily compressed, all the slots overlap quite tightly. In order for the adhesive layer on the seal to adhere well to the surface, the frame must be clean, without peeling paint. Pre-wipe the surfaces with acetone or solvent. Glue the edges of the seal with glue or nail it in with wallpaper to keep it from flying off. Now your wooden windows are not blown out and easy to open.

What if the windows are old? Insulation of old wooden windows

Old wooden windows, which are still in use, hardly meet the new requirements for sound insulation, tightness and thermal conductivity. In addition, they are already dry and cracked, and replacement is not cheap. Therefore, insulating old wooden windows requires a careful approach.

1. Use foam strips to insulate old windows. They need to be evenly spaced in the slots of the frames using a flat blunt object such as a screwdriver or knife. After that, glue the insulated areas with strips of paper smeared with soapy water or paste. For convenience, you can use a wide tape.
2. Often, paraffin wax is used to treat cracks, previously melted in a water bath and heated to 70 degrees. Using a syringe without a needle, liquid paraffin is poured into cracks in the window.
3. Of modern means, seals are very popular: polyvinyl chloride, foam rubber and rubber. The type of seal chosen depends on the width of the slots, the quality of the frame, its condition, as well as the temperature.
4. One of the most effective insulating materials is called a tubular profile. Its advantages over the above-described means are that it is invisible, has a long service life and retains its tightness when opening and closing windows.
5. Silicone sealant will not only serve as a good insulation, but will also help to secure the cracked frame. True, the process of working with this material is quite time-consuming, and looks more like repairs than simple insulation before winter.

The most important thing when working with old windows is to be careful not to have to completely change frames. It is better to spend more time and use more expensive but reliable materials, and be sure that the windows will not let you down in the cold.

Thermal insulation of plastic windows

Plastic windows, despite the assurance of the manufacturers of reliability, also require insulation. Therefore, we will consider several common methods.

1. The cheapest option is to cover the window with a dense, heat-retaining material. Previously, blankets were used for this, but this is only suitable for wooden windows. For double-glazed windows, there is a more modern means - a colorless polyethylene film, which is attached to the window. This method is very simple and does not require dismantling.
2. Some people prefer to insulate the window with blinds. In this case, the window frame itself is not affected, and strips of woolen fabric are glued to the blinds.
3. A more expensive method of insulation is the installation of an electric glass heating system. Now there are many different electric heaters for windows that are installed on the windowsill, or incandescent coils that are glued directly to the glass.
4. The most reliable way is to install a reinforced-plastic glass unit, in which there are at least three glasses. At least one of these glasses will be energy efficient. The use of such special glass significantly increases the heat-saving characteristics of plastic windows. The glass unit must be equipped with thermal break elements with metal inserts; the space between the glasses is usually filled with argon or krypton. Such a window will not be cheap, but the house will be reliably protected from cold and drafts.

Insulation of window slopes: choice of materials

Once you swap out your old wooden windows for new plastic ones, you count on protection from noise, dust and cold. At first, PVC-profile windows pay off, but then they begin to let in cold and moisture. This can happen due to subsidence of the walls of the house and depressurization of the joints. Of course, this situation does not add comfort, so you will need to insulate the window slopes inside and out.

This method will help create an additional protective and insulating layer. To do this, you will need the following materials:

• Extruded expanded polystyrene;
• Styrofoam;
• Fiberglass (isover);
• Mineral wool;
• Sandwich panels.

These materials are produced in the form of slabs. Which one to choose for insulating your windows, decide depending on the size of the gaps. For example, if the gap is at least 40 mm, then styrofoam, styrofoam and fiberglass with a thickness of 2-3 cm will work well. If the gap is narrow, then use mineral wool or polyurethane foam.

Insulation of slopes is not a difficult task, and if you have at least a little skills in construction work, then you can easily cope with it yourself. just arm yourself with some guidelines.

In the event that the walls of the room are multilayer and are lined with insulating materials that reach the window box, window insulation is not necessary. Such a structure of the walls is in itself protection against freezing. But if the walls are single-layer, or the house is built from panels with stiffeners, then it is necessary to carry out thermal insulation. In this case, you will need to place special thermal liners on the slopes.

The process of insulating slopes

Insulation of slopes is carried out as follows.

The material selected for thermal insulation is attached to the surface of the window opening, while the seam obtained during installation must be closed, and the window frame is partially covered. Install drywall on top of the material, and putty and paint the surface. If you use extruded styrene foam, then you do not need to use GCR.

On the top of the slopes, glue the insulation sheets, fix the plaster mesh on top. Apply a thin layer of cement-sand mixture to it, and to fix the result, apply a finishing putty.

Insulation of slopes with foam is also noteworthy. When the frame of the plastic window is installed, plaster the opening with a cement-sand mixture. The surface must be well dried in order to stick a layer of foam up to 5 mm thick on it. After that, putty and paint the surface. This will create good protection against cold air from the street into living rooms. In this version, the window opening from the outside can be insulated with expanded polystyrene, with plaster applied to it.

When laying the insulation, check the good tightness of its pressing to the surface. For more effective insulation, treat not only the window block, but also any assembly seams, filling them with foam or mineral wool.

Those window slopes that are not equipped with insulation should be treated with a special vapor barrier to exclude moisture penetration. To do this, use a reinforced foil tape, sealing mastic or PVC sealing films. Insulating material must be insulated from moisture.

Insulation of windows using Swedish technology

This method has been gaining in popularity lately. It owes its name to the Swedish-made material used (silicone rubber tubular gasket). Manufacturers claim that such material is durable (up to 20 years), does not lose its performance over a wide temperature range and is not afraid of exposure to dirt and paint.

It is very difficult to insulate windows on your own using Swedish technology. This requires both professional skills and special tools. It is quite difficult to make a sample with a cutter around the perimeter with your own hands so as to get a groove for rolling the seal, and this is exactly what is needed so that the material does not come off over time and does not fall out.

It is better to order this work to professionals. It will be relatively inexpensive, and the price includes such work as dismantling the window sashes, preparing the groove for the seal, placing a tubular silicone seal in it, adjusting the sash if necessary, sealing the glass and the opening between the sashes.

Assessment of work with fittings elements is carried out separately, both repair and complete replacement. The repair of the window box is also paid separately. The price for painting a window is also indicated separately.

If you calculate the entire amount that you have to pay for a set of works, then it is easy to see that it is not less than the cost of a standard plastic window, taking into account the entire structure and its installation. Therefore, you should make a choice - insulate a wooden window or install a plastic one.

The main thing to remember when using Swedish technology is that window frames must be intact, without any signs of decay. Replacing such elements will be expensive.

Now your home is completely isolated from cold weather and moisture. All winter you will be surrounded by comfort, and you will be able to significantly save on energy resources - gas or electric heating, and even wood and coal if you have stove heating. We look forward to your comments, in which you can ask your questions or present your suggestions. Good luck with your endeavors!