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MissJones
I need a nap!
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How do you insulate or stop drafts in older homes?
We have a pre-war apartment and aside from a LACK of friggin heat  we also have some big drafts despite new windows. What did you do to keep the cold air out?
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Posted 1/3/09 1:23 PM  |
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Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate
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Christine
2nd verse same as the 1st
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Re: How do you insulate or stop drafts in older homes?
they have shrink wrap kits in home depot/lowes that you can put over the windows. It's a big plastic sheet that you tape around the edges and then use a blow dryer to shrink it tight to provide some insulation.
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| Posted 1/3/09 2:54 PM |
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BaroqueMama
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me
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Re: How do you insulate or stop drafts in older homes?
Posted by Christine
they have shrink wrap kits in home depot/lowes that you can put over the windows. It's a big plastic sheet that you tape around the edges and then use a blow dryer to shrink it tight to provide some insulation.
Yes, this is great for drafty windows. Not the best look, but what can you do? I also have in my bedroom insulated curtains and I really notice a difference with these.
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| Posted 1/3/09 4:45 PM |
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Re: How do you insulate or stop drafts in older homes?
I was also going to suggest insulated curtains. They have electrical outlet insulators that you can put behind every outlet and lightswitch (these are BIG heat losers in many homes). I would put draft blockers under the doors too. 3M makes something that attaches to your door (sort of like a sweeper). HTH.
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| Posted 1/3/09 7:25 PM |
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OStewarts
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Re: How do you insulate or stop drafts in older homes?
Posted by Mrs. Patticakes
I was also going to suggest insulated curtains. They have electrical outlet insulators that you can put behind every outlet and lightswitch (these are BIG heat losers in many homes). I would put draft blockers under the doors too. 3M makes something that attaches to your door (sort of like a sweeper). HTH.
This is a really good suggestion! However, I wonder why you're getting drafts in the first place? New windows are usually double paned and very good at keeping out drafts.
I would consider the following: If you purchased regular replacement windows and put them into a pre-war frame, there may actually be some space between the new, standard size window, and the pre-war jam (the jam, being made back when window jams were made at the mercy of whichever carpenter built it, may be an odd size and there may be a gap.) If that is the case, wind and air can get in between the space between the new window and the old jam and it can really be brutal.
Do you know if the contractor insulated the new windows properly? I imagine that if you put your hand up around the molding and the window, you would be able to detect where some of the air is coming in from. You might need to take off the header, the sill and the molding to double check the space between the window and the jam but they're pretty easy (relatively) to replace with some finishing nails.
I would pry up the molding around one of the windows (maybe pick the worst offender?) to see if there is a problem underneath requiring some spray foam. You would be surprised at what a simple can of spray foam can go to prevent drafts.
Message edited 1/3/2009 8:39:08 PM.
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| Posted 1/3/09 8:37 PM |
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MissJones
I need a nap!
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Re: How do you insulate or stop drafts in older homes?
Well, the windows are supposed to be better insulated but I don't think they really took time to make sure that the molding part was insulated b/c I don't feel cold air coming from the window but rather around the window. We did head to Home Depot and got the shrink wrap stuff and are doing that.
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| Posted 1/3/09 10:30 PM |
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kns10-20
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Member since 8/07 996 total posts
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Kath
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Re: How do you insulate or stop drafts in older homes?
Posted by Christine
they have shrink wrap kits in home depot/lowes that you can put over the windows. It's a big plastic sheet that you tape around the edges and then use a blow dryer to shrink it tight to provide some insulation.
We just purchased the indoor & outdoor insulation kits at Home Depot. DH duct taped a contractor garbage bag on top of our living room AC to buffer the draft it was causing. Thankfully our current couch arrangement hides his work .
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| Posted 1/3/09 11:01 PM |
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OStewarts
LIF Adult
Member since 11/07 1096 total posts
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Re: How do you insulate or stop drafts in older homes?
Before putting shrink wrap up on the windows, I would make sure to pry the molding off (just one window) and check the space between the the window and the old jam.
If the contractor failed to put the foam in between those spaces, I would raise it with your Condo/Coop Board. They can make them come back and fix that and then there is no need for plastic wrap on the inside of your windows.
The job should have been done right in the first place and there is no reason why you should be fixing what should have been done anyway.
Edited To Add:
In older buildings, or even newer buildings, insulating gaps in between replacement windows and the old jam (whether it be drywall, plaster, or masonary) is STANDARD! The new spray foams makes this so EASY that it's a disgrace that any contractor fails to actually do it.
I would raise it with the Board of your building if the buillding hired the contractor.
Message edited 1/3/2009 11:15:16 PM.
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| Posted 1/3/09 11:09 PM |
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