This winter has been strangely warm. But, not warm enough for me to be using my air conditioner. And, that’s why I was confused when I got an usually high electric bill. I was hoping for a low gas and electric bills this winter. Wrong. So I called the electric company.
First, he was kind enough to walk me through my electric bill, comparing this month’s bill to the same month last year. Then, he compared the months leading up to this month and said I was on the same trend. Hmm… any suggestions awesome energy dude? You bet he did.
I’m all about organizing my energy bill and saving a few bucks along the way, so I took his advice. This house, even though it’s only 5 years old, has super drafty windows. I know it would benefit us to replace all of the windows, but that would be very expensive. So, when he recommended plastic on my windows instead, I said, “sure, why not?”
Duck brand is what I picked.
A. A guy at my work used it, so I knew it would work.
B. It got good reviews on Amazon.
C. It was cheap. This kit was less than $15 and it’ll cover a lot of windows. I got mine at Walmart.
Here’s how it works:
Wipe your window frame with the supplied alcohol pad. This removes any dirt so the tape will stick. Make sure the frame is dry before moving on to the next step.
Affix your double-sided tape (supplied) around the entire window frame. Now is a good time to measure your window frame. The instructions recommend allowing for 1″ extra of plastic on each side. This is a good recommendation. I forgot when I was measuring one window, and well, it’s not exactly pretty, or sealed as good as it should be. Then it ripped when I tried to pull too hard. Bummer.
Next, remove the backing on the tape. Here’s where you’ll see if you did a good job cleaning your window frame. If it’s still dirty, the tape might peel back. Don’t worry, it happened to me on one edge, no one is judging you, like they’ll be judging me.
Stick your plastic to your double-sided tape. It didn’t have clear instructions on how to do this, so I just did it how I thought I was suppose to. I ended up with more than an inch on the bottom, because I didn’t leave any overhang on the top.
Find a hair dryer (not supplied), this is what will shrink your plastic and remove any creases or wrinkles. Make sure to hold the hair dryer 1-2 inches from film and shrink film for 30-60 seconds. While shrinking film, lightly press film to tape. Don’t get the dryer too close to the plastic and don’t over shrink the plastic. You’ll be sorry, if you do.
I was pretty impressed with how well the plastic shrunk, and how clear it was. But, see that bottom, right corner? That’s where I didn’t clean the trim enough and the tape pulled up during the shrinking process. Oh well, it was my first window. Next time I’ll do a better job. I’m gonna cover that right up with a curtain anyway.
I haven’t finished all of my windows, but on the ones I have done, I can definitely tell a difference.
Are you worried about when spring come and letting some fresh air into the house? Well, you just peel this off and throw it away. But, if you have some windows that you never open, or can’t open, just leave it on all year. I swear, it’s clear, you’ll be able to see the blooming flowers right through it.
