I own an older house with single pane windows. Unfortunately, none of the windows are fitted with storm sash. So I’m looking for ways to decrease the heat loss through all these openings in a simple and inexpensive way. Do you have any suggestions?

Decreasing the air leakage through all the glass surfaces in your home is an excellent way to put money from fuel savings in your pocket, decrease global fuel consumption and increase the level of comfort in your house by reducing drafts from those chilly winter winds. So here are a few suggestions that you might consider.

The least expensive solution is a clear polyethylene heat shrink plastic that is installed by homeowners in the fall and removed each spring. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to install. However, after you have installed and removed it on every window for a few years you may weary of the annual cost, the labour and the amount of waste you create from the disposable plastic.

A more expensive alternative is Lexan or Plexiglas. It is available at your local building supply stores in a wide variety of sizes. For instance, a four-foot by eight-foot sheet can be cut to fit a variety of window sizes in your home. Individual pieces can then be snuggly fitted on the inside of each window and fixed in place (if necessary) with removable caulking, thumb latches, wing nuts, or other appropriate common latching hardware. Plexiglas does discolour with years of exposure to sunlight and it is susceptible to scratching so you can expect to replace individual pieces in years to come. However, these pieces are easily removed (because they accessed from inside) and stored each spring. Label each piece so you’re not guessing their locations next fall.

Or, consider a more expensive alternative to Plexiglas; aluminum or wood sash storm windows. These retrofit storms can often be built to fit inside your existing windows, making them easy to access for installation and storage. Aluminum sash cost about $10 per square foot of window area. Primed wood sash costs approximately $20 per square foot. Your local window and glazing supplier is the best source for finding these products. The most expensive versions of this alternative are mounted permanently on the outside of each window. Each storm is often hinged at the top or side so it opens out in warm weather and is demountable for cleaning if it is not accessible from the interior.

Another option I have seen occasionally is a permanently fixed sheet of glass fixed to the inside of each window frame and held in place by permanent wood trim stops. Although this is a relatively cheap alternative because you are not paying for the aluminum or wood sash frames, you loose the air flow function of any window you seal in this way. As well, you run the risk of condensation on the outside glass surface if the storm is not well sealed.

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This article was written by Steven Cannon, a Registered Building Official and partner in Lynch Building Inspection Services Ltd. of Nelson, British Columbia. It originally appeared in The Nelson Express.

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