If you have draughty windows you can easily boost their effectiveness. Windows draw out a lot of heat during the cold winter months for many people in the UK, which causes a wide range of problems.
Bay windows, sash windows and casement windows can all benefit from extra window insulation, but there are a few other helpful tips that can boost your windows performance without changing the window.
What is Boosting Window Insulation Useful For?
Increasing window insulation will give you some quite tangible benefits, so it is well worth doing. These range from financial concerns to the general wellbeing of your household. Benefits of increasing your window insulation include the following:
- Lower heating bills: Cold air from windows can cause considerable heat loss, which increases your need for turning on heating. Double-glazed units are perfectly suitable windows for winter, but increasing their insulation can help to reduce your fuel needs and the associated costs even further.
- More energy efficiency: Good insulation delivers substantial benefits to the environment. With a more energy-efficient home, you can contribute to the green credentials of your building, which can result in a carbon reduction and reduces dependence on the main power grid.
- Lower humidity: If there is condensation on the inside of your windows, you can often experience problems with humidity. Mould, poor air quality and other issues can easily arise if you have a window with poor insulation – this can lead to a wide range of potential health issues, notably in children.
Thankfully, no matter what type of window you have there is usually something you can do to improve them and get the benefits of a well-insulated window cost-effectively. Certain window frames can perform better than others, but there are options for almost any frame type.
It can be difficult to understand how best to improve your window insulation effectively, but as suppliers and installers of a range of windows on the south coast of the UK, we are a good source of information. We believe in energy-efficient homes and quality designs for windows with excellent insulation.
Get in touch with us for a quote.
What are the Best Window Insulation Tips?
So you are interested in boosting the insulation of your windows, and you have made the wise choice to do so – here we will explore the best ways. Some of the following tips may incur an extra cost, but many are simple and can be done with little to no cost. A few free home remedies and other ideas are included that you can try too.
The following tips can help to boost the effectiveness of your window insulation:
- Upgrade your glazing: It might sound obvious but upgrading to double or triple glazing will improve your insulation. This option may not be useful if you are unable to replace your windows, but it is the most sure-fire way to boost insulation standards. If you choose to upgrade your glazing, avoid timber windows, as these can be draughtier, especially as they warp with age.
- Try a draught excluder: A simple draught excluder can reduce heat loss for problem windows and doors. You can buy a draught excluder yourself online or in homeware stores, many have tube-shaped designs, but you could also try a long and narrow pillow, or even a rolled-up cloth blanket to block draughts quite well.
- Use insulated plasterboard: The walls around your windows can be a source of heat loss too. By using insulated plasterboard you can reduce the chances of this being a problem and boost the insulation of the home in general, the costs of doing this can be substantial but the benefits are substantial too.
- Try weather strips: Weatherstripping is a simple yet effective method of improving window insulation. Weatherstrip kits work by using a rubber or metallic material to seal the edge of a window or door. Weatherstrips are a low-cost option and are easy to cut to size for many different types of windows.
- Use a window film: You can use a shrink film insulation kit to boost your window’s insulation. Simply by laying the film across a pane of glass you improve your insulation with an almost invisible look, as shrink films are completely transparent. Shrink film is similar to coating your windows with cellophane, but with a smoother, more seamless look – not to mention additional insulating materials. This is another excellent and low-cost tip.
If you have single glazed windows with just one pane of glass you should consider an upgrade, as they are the least efficient type of glazed windows. However, if this is not possible some of the above tips will help to improve the situation.
A large curtain can also help, so if you have a problem with your insulation in a certain room you can try this tip too.
Simple Tips to Boost Window Insulation
You should be able to enhance the effectiveness of your windows by using some of the above tips. If you are unable to change the type of window you have, or you already have double or triple glazed windows and still have a problem, the above simple and low-cost strategies can still help.
Getting the best window insulation is important for lowering bills, improving the environment and reducing the chances of mould and it’s associated health issues.
As experts in installing windows to the highest standard in the south coast region of the UK, we understand how window insulation works. Feel free to get in touch if you would like a free quote on a new well-insulated window installation.
