During summer days, you should close draperies on windows receiving direct sunlight to prevent heat gain. Studies demonstrate that medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33%.
Yes. Emergency management agencies specifically recommend using “aluminum foil-covered cardboard” between windows and drapes to reflect heat back outside.
Yes. In baking, aluminum foil keeps the food unburnt from direct heat exposure in the oven. Following the same logic, aluminum foil on the window keeps the heat out because, well, it is heat resistant. As such, wrapping your windows with aluminum foil generally maintains the low temperature inside your home.
The idea here is to apply Saran Wrap over the entire window, including the frame. By overlapping the strips, you create a continuous surface of the plastic. In theory, this plastic prevents icy breezes and moisture from getting into your home. It also won't damage your windows.
The best way to winterize your windows is to add a sealed layer of plastic or glass over the window. And the cheapest, easiest way to do this is by installing an interior window insulation kit. Keep out those winter winds by sealing up your drafty windows.
The best insulation for stopping drafts around windows will be a material that keeps air from leaking around the frame. The most commonly used insulation materials are fiberglass and window spray foam insulation.
Harris reports that "reductions in the overall energy consumption of the [test] room of up to 6% were recorded by installing [plain] foil behind a radiator, while the heat loss through the area of wall immediately behind the radiator fell to less than 30% of the original value".
Plastic window film covers can reduce drafts and make your home feel warmer during the winter. They are also a relatively inexpensive way to reduce condensation buildup and lower energy bills. Window wraps can also seal air leaks around the window, when those leaks extend over woodwork.
Put simply, yes it does. Cardboard has air pockets between two layers and this slows down the transfer of heat from one side to the other, and any warm air that gets into the air pocket can stay between these layers for a long period of time and maintain its temperature.
Plastic for windows is a thin, transparent folium through which you can see. It resembles the plastic foil for food covering. However, it is of better quality, thicker, and much more durable. You can purchase it in every hardware store all over the US or order it from the Net.
As regards to its insulation properties, cardboard is actually a great insulator as it has poor thermal conductivity. The definition of conductivity is actually the property of a material to transmit energy.
Bubble wrap works by increasing the isolative value of the window, making it effective in keeping the heat out in summer and preventing heat loss in winter. "The still layer of air trapped in the bubbles gives a cheap double-glazed-type effect," Ms Edwards said.
For aluminum or tin foil to be effective at keeping the heat out, it must be installed correctly. Generally, the foil has two sides, one shiny and another one a bit dull. The shiny side must be the one facing the sun. Reflective surfaces generally will bounce the sun rays away from the windows.
The reflective surface will reflect heat and the matte side will reflect less heat . If you're baking or defrosting, the matte side will absorb more radiant heat and reflect less infrared heat while the shiny side will reflect more of both, so it makes more sense to bake and defrost with the matte side facing up.
Doing this with some corrugated cardboard may sound crazy, but it really is a very effective method of insulation. The best way to use cardboard as insulation is to cover the windows with it. The window will be a major source of heat loss.
Blackout curtains can trap heat in during the winter and keep light and heat out during the summer. 10-25% of thermal energy loss goes out the windows. Blackout curtains can curtail this loss by a 25%, reducing your utility bills and greenhouse gases.