According to the Department of Energy, up to 30 percent of a home’s energy is lost through its windows. Poor window insulation and quality means the energy used to heat and cool your home is lost when that heat or cool air seeps through and around your windows. Cutting down on that loss can also cut your energy bills and as energy costs rise so does the growing need for more efficient climate control solutions. Window replacement is one of those solutions, but it is also an expensive one.
A more cost-effective solution, however, is thermal window inserts. Let’s take a look at this solution and see if it is right for you.
What Are Thermal Window Inserts?
Window inserts are much as their name suggests, they are a clear insert that fits inside your window frame on the interior side of your window, unlike storm windows, which are usually hung externally. The inserts are custom made to order and can even fit abnormal size, unique, or historical windows.
The inserts are made with a magnetic perimeter gasket seal that is attracted to a metal angle or tape that is installed around the perimeter of the casement window. This magnetic bellows system allows the air trapped between the existing window and the new insert to expand and contract with temperature fluctuations and also creates an airtight seal. The window insert not only reduces sound but adds an extra layer of insulation that reduces the heat transfer through your window.
In this way, window inserts can act as storm window alternatives for home energy efficiency solutions. They can also be a cost-effective way to lower cooling costs and reduce heating costs without the added expense of full window replacements.
Read More: Full Frame vs. Insert Window Replacements
How Window Inserts Improve Indoor Climate Control
Climate control window inserts can help prevent heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer by improving your windows’ insulation properties. Basically, less air seeps from inside your home to outside your home and vice versa. In colder months, this means less warm air leaves and less cold air gets in. In warmer months, this means less cool air leaves and less hot air gets in. This makes indoor temperature regulation easier and reduces the reliance on your HVAC system to heat and cool your home or business.
The Energy-Saving Benefits of Thermal Window Inserts
Rising energy costs can make finding energy efficient window solutions that can lower energy costs a priority. According to the Department of Energy, a window insert that uses the compression system can cut down on energy loss through your windows up to about 20 percent. This can translate into a significant reduction in your energy loss, which can lower heating and cooling costs for your home or business.
This reduction in energy usage to heat and cool your home also has an impact on your carbon footprint, making it a sustainable solution as well.
Why Window Inserts Are Better Than Traditional Insulation
Storm windows and heavy drapes can also provide extra insulation around windows, but the window insulation benefits of thermal window inserts goes beyond what these traditional methods provide.
Heavy drapes can cut down on drafts, but they also cut down on the amount of light that can come into a room. They can also cause window condensation to form more easily and are not as attractive or clean as window inserts, which seamlessly blend into your existing window frame.
Storm windows can be cumbersome to install, uninstall, and then reinstall year after year and also require space to be stored. They are also not easily removed to let in fresh air during a winter thaw or an unseasonably warm or cool day. Window inserts on the other hand can be easily installed or removed in seconds. They are also much easier to clean and maintain.
Performance in Extreme Weather Conditions
If you live in a climate that experiences severe weather, window inserts can act as interior storm windows, offering protection against drafts and air leaks. Thermal window inserts can be especially effective under extreme weather conditions, when harsh temperatures and high winds can make drafts and air leaks more extreme too. The added protection can make a big difference.
Read More: Comforts of Home in a Changing Seasonal Climate
Additional Benefits: Noise Reduction and Moisture Control
Soundproofing window inserts can be an advantage for homes and offices, especially if you are located near a busy street, industrial area, or high-traffic freeway. The extra layer that thermal window inserts add to your windows makes them ideal noise reduction window panels.
Another additional benefit to window inserts is condensation prevention. By creating an airtight seal between the exterior temperature and the interior temperature of your home, window inserts can help prevent condensation from forming and reduce mold growth.
Choosing the Best Materials for Thermal Window Inserts
When it comes to finding the best materials for thermal window inserts, there are a couple of factors to consider, including durability, insulation properties, and aesthetics.
There are three main types of materials used for window inserts.
- Glass – usually encased in an aluminum frame and can create a tight seal, but with less clarity, durability, or insulation ability than other materials.
- Acrylic or plexiglass – offer a clean aesthetic and are easy to use with high clarity and durability, fit in easily with most styles of homes, and have lower thermal conductivity giving them high insulation properties.
- Polycarbonate – made from a type of lightweight plastic known for its clarity and durability, stronger than glass, and also offers UV protection as well as thermal insulation.
When comparing acrylic or plexiglass with polycarbonate, there are a few things to consider with respect to clouding and yellowing. Acrylic is often confused with polycarbonate, as they are both in the plastic glazing family. Both have their benefits, as polycarbonate is virtually unbreakable and a good option for security purposes. The difference between acrylic and polycarbonate is that acrylic filters the sun’s UV rays while standard polycarbonate absorbs the sun’s UV rays. This functional difference causes standard polycarbonate to yellow more quickly over time, while acrylic exhibits excellent resistance to discoloration when exposed to the sun’s UV rays. You can find more information on the comparison between the types of materials used for window inserts here.
Cost Vs. Efficiency: Weighing Window Inserts Against Full Window Replacements
Full window replacements can be an expensive home improvement project, but this type of project does offer a long-term return on the initial investment when weighed against the level of home energy efficiency and thermal insulation that is achieved. Newer windows can also add value when selling your home. Window inserts, however, require a lot less money upfront than full window replacements but will raise both your home’s thermal insulation and energy efficiency. However, probably not as much as full replacements as inserts do not improve the insulation of your window frames.
Full window replacements should be considered if your window frames are old, damaged, or decaying. If your window frames are in good shape or you want to preserve the historical integrity of your home’s original windows, then window inserts can be a wise investment with a high ROI.
Why Climate Seal Window Inserts Are a Smart Investment
Depending on your purpose for installing thermal window inserts, such as soundproofing, energy efficiency, or reduction of U.V. light penetration into your room, there are several different types of inserts to choose from. Climate Seal window insulation solutions offer many different styles to suit your needs. If you want to up your home’s energy efficiency, there are styles that can accommodate it or if you are most concerned with preserving the historical integrity of a building, there are styles for that too.
Final Thoughts on Thermal Window Inserts
Thermal window inserts are a cost-effective solution to improving your home’s energy efficiency, reducing the amount of sound getting into or out of a room, and maintaining your home’s interior comfort. They can bring many benefits, including lower energy bills and a decrease in noise and moisture build-up without the higher cost of full window replacements. Investing in high-quality window inserts can provide all the benefits without a large cash output.
Contact Climate Seal for more information about installing high-quality thermal window inserts to bring these benefits into your home.
