Cuando buscamos mantener caliente nuestra casa, no solo es importante que dediquemos nuestro esfuerzo y dinero para generar una fuente de calor potente y estable. También es básico que nos preocupemos de aislar correctamente el hogar para que esta energía que producimos no se pierda a través de los puntos que la unen con el exterior (como puertas o ventanas) o incluso a través de sus muros, techos y suelos.

At Culmia, we want to make things easy for you, so today we’ve put together a list of tips to help you insulate your windows against the cold this winter. Keep reading to discover a way to save money and energy over the next few months!

Why is it essential that we pay attention to the insulation of our windows?

According to a thermographic study conducted in 2015 in Miranda de Ebro (Burgos) on more than a thousand homes, 68% of them had heat loss through their window openings due to the presence of thermal bridges. Meanwhile, in 52% of the cases, at least one specific insulation failure was found due to heat loss through the roller shutter boxes.

In cases like these, it is estimated that up to one-third of the heat can be lost through these areas of the home, leading to a corresponding increase in our energy bill. This is a major problem that is becoming even more acute right now, as we’ve just entered a winter that is shaping up to be one of the most challenging in recent memory due to rising energy costs and supply issues.

Tips for Insulating Your Windows Against the Cold This Winter

With all that said, you’re probably wondering how you can insulate the windows in your home without doing major renovations or making things too complicated. Well, take note, because here are some tips that are sure to come in handy:

Check their status

The older your windows are and the more wear and tear they’ve undergone, the more likely they are to have more areas where heat escapes or outside air enters. So the first step is to carefully inspect every window in your home to assess its condition—check for any holes, cracks, or punctures, and look for areas where you can feel a draft or where cold air is coming in from outside.

If you detect any cracks or air leaks during this inspection, you should fix them as best you can. To do this, you can use materials such as silicone, insulating rubber, or acrylic putty, as these will allow you to seal these areas and, more importantly, insulate them from the outside so that your home doesn’t lose heat and, at the same time, doesn’t let the cold in.

Colocar burletes

These are strips made of various materials (such as rubber, polyurethane foam, silicone, or brush) that can be installed between the seal and the glass to fill the entire gap. This is an affordable and cost-effective alternative to replacing the glass or the entire window, because weatherstripping is inexpensive and fairly easy to install—it’s usually sold in an adhesive format for easy installation.

In any case, keep in mind that the material these are made of will affect their price, usefulness, and durability. For example, foam is very useful for small gaps of no more than 5 millimeters and will last up to 5 years, while rubber is more expensive but is useful for slightly larger gaps and will last even longer (up to 8 years in the best cases).

And if you’re looking for a versatile, sturdy, and very durable option, you should choose the silicone, since it can provide up to 15 years of insulation.

Have you noticed the blinds’ pull chains?

One of the most common mistakes when checking window insulation is forgetting that blind pulls are also critical points for heat loss and cold air infiltration. After all, they’re installed in openings in the wall or window so that the cord works properly when raising and lowering the blind, which means they can end up being a “high-risk” area.

If you notice a slight draft near the handle, we recommend that you remove it and seal it with one of the materials we mentioned in the previous point—such as foam or silicone— or even with a sheet of expanded polyethylene.

Use thermal curtains and blinds

Spain is one of the few European countries that still uses shutters on its windows, so we can take advantage of them during the coldest parts of winter. If we close them at night, we’ll improve our home’s insulation, since this will make it even harder for heat to escape and cold air to enter.

And if we also install thermal curtains, we’ll notice an even greater difference, because these are made of insulating materials (generally thicker and heavier than standard fabrics like cotton) that keep the cold out and the heat in. So, even though they can’t heat a room on their own, they at least help prevent temperature fluctuations in the rooms.

Homemade Solutions for Insulating Window Glass

If you’re concerned about the heat exchange caused by your window glass, a temporary (and not very attractive) solution could be to apply window film or a sheet to the glass, or even wrap it in bubble wrap, so that the air pockets face the glass.

Change the entire window

If, despite everything that’s been said, you feel you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, you might want to consider installing new windows that provide adequate insulation. And at this point, it will be very important for you to make the right decisions, especially regarding the design and components of the frame and the glass.

For example, there are ideal solutions such as double-pane windows (UVA), which include a layer of insulating gas between the two panes of glass. Among these are so-called low-emissivity or “Low-E” glass, which has a layer of metal oxides deposited on one side, making it low-emissivity. Thus, instead of emitting energy, they reflect it, which improves thermal insulation performance compared to standard glass.

Or you can also explore other options, such as float glass, monolithic glass, laminated glass, tempered glass, or frosted glass, each of which offers different properties depending on what you consider most important: thermal insulation, sound insulation, or safety.

And what about the frame material? Here, we recommend choosing aluminum, because it is the most durable, safe, comfortable, and easy-to-maintain option compared to alternatives such as PVC or wood.

Which solution do you prefer?

As you can see, there’s no longer any excuse for being cold in winter due to poor window insulation . There are numerous options, both budget-friendly and more expensive, to improve energy efficiency in your home and, in turn, save on heating costs in the long run .

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