39 interior storm windows.pdf

section 35 Perhaps this past fall, in hopes of de-

creasing the drafts from your windows,

you used a hair dryer to install plastic

sheets over the inside of your windows.

This is one type of interior storm win-

dow.

Interior storm windows reduce drafts

and create a dead air space between the

window glass and the interior plastic

sheet. The air space acts a bit like insula-

tion. The combination decreases the

amount of heat lost out of a window and

will generally save as much energy as

installing a new window.

The problems with the hair-dryer-

installed plastic sheets are that the plas-

tic tears easily, the adhesive is weak and

the plastic is thrown away every spring..

Tyz-All storm windows allow you to at-

tach a thin frame around your window.

You can then use the frame to “zip” (zip-

lock style) a plastic sheet into place

across the window. This way you can un-

zip the plastic sheet each spring, so you

can use the window normally during the

summer. Every fall you can re-install the

same plastic sheet in the frame. This re-

duces the amount of plastic being

thrown away each year into a landfill.

Also, Tyz-All uses a thicker grade of plas-

tic, so the plastic doesn’t rip easily.

Note: The Tyz-All plastic sheets are

made from PVC, the same material

as some shower curtains. If you

have allergies to PVC or want to

avoid the VOCs and the damage to

the environment from using a mate-

rial linked to atmospheric degrada-

tion, you can use a different and thin-

ner plastic. Just make sure the sheet

is transparent so you don’t end up

feeling like you’re living in a tupper-

ware container.

interior storm

windows

How to install interior storms

See this video showing the installation.

The visual makes written directions easier

to grasp.

• Energy savings per decade: Up to $353

and 2,880 lbs. CO2 assuming you in-stall interior storms on all the win-dows in your home

• Level of difficulty: Moderate

• Cost: $7 to $11 per window

• How long it takes: 20 minutes per win-

dow

• Tools & materials: Rag, pencil, screw-

driver, a Tyz-All window kit big

enough for your window, scissors, utility knife, measuring tape

1. First clean off the window casing of all

dirt and loose paint, etc.

Tip: The adhesive backing the lengths of channel won't stick well to wet surfaces, so any water-based cleaning should be done well ahead of time and allowed to dry completely.

2. Use a pencil to lightly draw where the

frame will go. You can install the Tyz-All

frame on the front face of the window

casing (as in the video linked to above)

or on the inner surface of the sash stop

(the inside of the window frame next to

the window jamb). Either way, the frame

must have a straight and continuous line,

360° around the window.

Tip: To decrease convective looping (the movement of cold air sinking and warmer air rising within the insulated space allow-

ing more cold to transfer into the home), it is best if the plastic sheet is installed within one half inch of the window. Since this is normally not possible, just try to in-stall it as close to the window as you can.

3. Remove any obstructions (blinds, latches

or handles, etc.) that are going to get in

the way of the plastic sheet once it’s

pulled tight, but leave any handles used

to open the window nearby, in case an

emergency exit is needed.

4. Peel the paper cover off the backside of

a two feet frame piece to expose the ad-

hesive and press the frame’s adhesive

side firmly into place along the penciled

line. Make sure to press it exactly into

place; the adhesive is sticky and it will be

hard to move. Also it won’t stick as well

the second time.

5. Peel off the paper cover and place the

next piece tightly butted up to the first

end, following the penciled line.

6. Continue all the way around the window,

building a frame for the plastic sheet on

the window trim, along the penciled line.

Tip: If you need a window frame piece shorter than two feet, you can cut the piece with a utility knife or scissors. Once you have the surface cut started, you can bend the frame piece back and forth along the cut to break it. It is easier to unzip the

108

Installing an interior storm window

See our photos showing the parts of a Tyz-all kit, as well as the parts of a window.

spline from the frame piece first and cut them separately.

7. When you have the whole frame in place,

unzip the spline from all of the frame

pieces.

8. Cut out a piece of clear plastic that is at

least four inches taller and wider than the

frame.

9. Zip a half an inch of the plastic into the

very center of the topside of the frame.

10. Zip a half an inch in at the center of the

bottom of the frame, making sure to pull

the plastic tight so there is no slack.

11. Zip half an inch in on the center of the

left side.

12. Zip half an inch on the center of the right

side, making sure to pull the plastic

sheet so there is no slack.

13. Now that you have the center of each

side in place, zip each side’s plastic and

spline into place by moving outward from

these center spot to the corner. With the

centers correctly in place you can easily

press all the creases out of the plastic as

you go, resulting in a flat nearly invisible

plastic sheet.

14. When it’s in place, you can use a utility

knife or scissors to cut off some extra

plastic from the edges. If you're planning

on removing the plastic sheet each sum-

mer, then don't cut too close to the edge

or when you try to zip the sheet in next

fall, you'll have a hard time getting it ex-

actly right.

Tip: Label the plastic sheet in an unobtru-sive corner so you know which window it belongs in next fall when you zip it back into place.

********

If you want an even more effective, longer

lasting, professionally constructed window

insulation system, Advanced Energy

Panels sells a great one.

Advanced Energy Panels (AEPs) are a dou-

ble glazed, light, interior panel custom-made

for each window. They are easy to install

and remove, and they can be reused year

after year.

AEPs insulate and air-seal more than most

replacement windows, yet they are a fraction

of the cost. Sometimes you can even get re-

bates for them

109

An Advanced Energy Panel being installed