The best alternatives to plastic shrink-wrap include thermal curtains, applied solar/insulating glass film, cellular shades, or weatherstripping. These provide aesthetic and structural ways to block drafts or control temperature without obstructing your view or dealing with peeling tape.
5 Quick and Easy Fixes for Drafty Windows
To keep the cold out, apply a clear window insulation shrink film directly to the frame to block drafts. For structural gaps, use adhesive weatherstripping. Cover with heavy thermal curtains for an extra layer of insulation.
By applying Contra Vision micro-perforated window film to your window, you will still be able to see out, and the white face film obscures vision into the building.
Savings in Energy and Money
Window film covers are inexpensive, reduce drafts, help the house feel warmer during winter months, and reduce moisture buildup on the window due to condensation.
Trending Window Treatment Ideas for Every Room
Here are five easy, affordable ways to insulate your windows and seal in the savings this winter:
Some of Stewart's homes utilize interior blinds for light regulation and privacy. Others feature windows framed by exterior shutters, operable versions of which can also be used for light control, ventilation and privacy.
In the U.S., the uncovered window is perhaps less an expression of communal trust than one of personal protection. Wealthier homeowners, who can also afford state-of- the-art security systems, may not feel that they need shades. These curtainless windows have become one of our subtlest statements of privilege.
✔ Best for Keeping Light While Maintaining Privacy:
You can effectively insulate windows for winter without plastic by blocking drafts with rope caulk or weather stripping, and utilizing physical barriers like thermal curtains, bubble wrap, or custom rigid foam panels.
Keep cold drafts out of your home by sealing gaps around the frame and adding an extra layer of insulation. The most effective DIY fixes include applying weatherstripping to movable parts, using a shrink-wrap window insulation kit, sealing cracks with caulk, and hanging heavy thermal curtains.
Germans open windows in the dead of winter for a practice called Lüften (airing out). It involves briefly opening multiple windows wide to completely exchange stale, moist indoor air with fresh, cold outdoor air. This ritual serves several practical purposes:
Shrink-wrap works on not-so-beat-up windows, and it doesn't require as much precision to install as caulk sometimes can. It works a bit like a temporary storm window, stopping leaks and creating an air pocket with an insulating effect.
Adding bubble wrap or saran wrap to your windows does help insulate them, but not very well. And these fixes look sloppy, especially when they have to be done over each year, leaving adhesive marks or chipped paint. What bubble wrap can't do, is create dead air space between it and your window.
To stop cold air from coming through windows, fill cracks and gaps with caulk or weatherstripping, use draft stoppers along the window sill, and apply plastic insulation film over the glass.
To achieve a "see out, but not in" effect, you can apply specialty window films or explore other specific treatments. Keep in mind that how these products work depends heavily on lighting.
Thankfully, Stewart was quick to ease our curtain concerns. She says, “They're beautiful, I don't have anything against them, I just don't live with them… I like to look outside. Every window [in my home] looks out to something nice, and it's just all open to the view.”
Effective window blackout methods include blackout curtains, Magic's blackout blinds, and window film. DIY solutions like aluminum foil and cardboard cut-outs are budget-friendly options for blocking light without permanent installations. You can also use temporary suction-cup blackout curtains.
Sleeping with windows open can introduce outdoor pollutants, allergens, and noise that disrupt rest. It also creates security vulnerabilities and allows pests inside. Furthermore, uncontrolled drafts can cause muscle stiffness and dry out your nasal passages.
Meanwhile, the least desired home styles appear to be shipping container homes and tiny homes, the study finds.
The most significant "curtain" (or veil) in the Bible is the heavy barrier in the Jerusalem Temple that separated humanity from God's presence. Its tearing represents the removal of the barrier of sin, allowing believers direct access to God.
Martha Stewart, 83, has nothing to hide. She's always been unabashedly candid about her life and career, including her divorce and her 2005 stint in prison for insider trading. And now, the lifestyle guru is opening up about being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease vitiligo for the very first time.
Curtains usually look cheap because of flimsy, unlined fabrics, insufficient width (looking like a "flat sheet" when closed), or a length that stops too short above the floor. Additionally, plastic hardware and visible metal grommets often detract from an elevated design, making budget curtains stand out negatively.
Martha Stewart's energizing morning routine
While many of her retired peers are leaning into leisurely retirements, Stewart treats her mornings as a launchpad to gain energy for a full workday, despite only getting four hours of sleep a night. “I read the entire New York Times,” she said. “I do all the puzzles.