Ensuring your home has adequate window insulation also ensures that sunlight and a nice view of the outdoors aren’t accompanied by excess heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.
Windows are an often overlooked source of air infiltration that can boost heating/cooling expenses in any season. The sum total of energy loss from all leaky windows in a house can equal the effect of leaving one window open 24/7/365. This also over-burdens your furnace or air conditioner, resulting in longer operating cycles to maintain indoor temperatures and increasing system wear and tear.
Restoring window insulation isn’t high-tech stuff. It’s just a matter of closing gaps that allow air infiltration. Here are some suggestions to get the job done:
Caulking
If you can feel drafts around the window and frame—a cold windy day presents a good opportunity to find them—seal small gaps with caulking. Use latex caulk for openings in the wooden sash and silicone caulk to close gaps that contact glass or metal. Caulking doesn’t last forever, so be prepared to repeat the process in a few years.
Weatherstripping
The gap between moving segments of the window is usually sealed by felt and/or vinyl weatherstripping. These materials are affected by age and wear and tear as the window is opened and closed. Use adhesive felt to seal along the top and bottom where the window contacts the sash and vinyl or rubber “V-strips” to line the inside of V-channels where the window slides.
Window Film
Transparent plastic window film is an inexpensive recourse to seal the entire opening. The film is attached to the wooden frame surrounding the entire window with special double-sided tape. Once the window is fully enclosed, heat is applied to the fiom with a hair dryer or heat gun, causing it to shrink into an air-tight covering that keeps out external drafts . Because it’s an easy DIY procedure, window film is often a seasonal option during cold winters and is removed during summer.
For more energy-saving tips like window insulation, contact Paitson Bros., the Wabash Valley’s preferred HVAC sales and service provider since 1922.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Terre Haute, Indiana about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 812-645-6859.
Jeff Paitson is a third generation business owner who continues to run the business with the same values that have been passed down from previous generations since 1922.
Jeff’s belief is that the business belongs to Jesus Christ; therefore 10 percent of the company’s profits go toward the Maryland Community Church.
Jeff is a Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce member and in his spare time, he enjoys 
Ethan Rayburn is a lifelong resident of Terre Haute and a 2005 graduate of Purdue University.
An Eagle Scout, Ethan spent four years as a non-profit executive with the Boy Scouts of America before joining Paitson Bros. as a comfort advisor and later General Manager. In that role, Ethan has brought a renewed enthusiasm for customer care, integrity, value, and service to Paitson Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning.
Ethan enjoys singing and was a member of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club. He also enjoys playing and coaching soccer, spending time with his family and two young boys, and volunteering his time and resources with his church, Terre Haute First Baptist Church, which he has attended from a very young age.
Paitson Bros
1 (812) 232-2347
Serving the Wabash Valley, IN Area Since 1922