DIY Project Insulate Your Windows with Bubble Wrap

Wish you could upgrade your windows, but not quite there in the funds department? Adding a layer of bubble wrap to your windows can create an extra layer of energy-saving protection all year long, saving you a small fortune in heating and cooling bills that could later be re-invested in those new windows you’ve been dreaming of.

How Does Bubble Wrap Insulate?

Providing warmth and light, windows can also be a weak spot in your home’s thermal efficiency profile. Glass simply isn’t a very good insulator. Adding bubble wrap, however, can fix this. Inexpensive or free courtesy of your online shopping habit, bubble wrap houses tiny little plastic pockets of air, providing a tiny buffer zone of insulation that keeps heat from escaping through windows when applied from the inside, improving the energy efficiency of your home with little time or monetary investment needed. Bubble wrap with large bubbles (and less space in between) tends to perform better, so if you want maximum return-on-investment, bigger bubbles are definitely better.

That’s a Wrap

Putting bubble wrap on windows is simple, fast, and even a little fun…

• Find large pieces of bubble wrap, preferably with medium to large-sized bubbles.
• Using scissors, cut the sheets slightly smaller than your window glass.
• Spray a thin film of water onto the window glass with a spray bottle.
• Apply the wrap, bubbly side toward the wet glass.
• Press carefully to ensure a firm hold. (If it falls off, just give it another light spray of water and reapply.)
• Sit back, relax, and bask in your not-so-hard work. Bubble wrap can be removed easily at the end of the season, saved and re-applied next year, or left up on your windows for several years – with no sticky scotch tape or annoying glue left behind. The only downside: Your bubbly view will be a bit fuzzy – the smaller the bubble, the worse the view. But on the plus side, wrap does allow plenty of sunshine in!

Poppin’ Performance

According to the HowToGoSolar, a free online resource geared toward educating homeowners on the benefits of solar power and energy efficiency, bubble wrapped windows show insulating improvements that are 50% better on single-glazed windows, cutting utility bills almost in half. Even double-glazed windows realized up to a 20% improvement in performance when wrapped.

Wrap Your Home in Savings

From bubble wrap to the latest in doubled-paned, low-emissivity windows, Glass Doctor^® has your insulating and energy-saving needs covered. Brighten your life. Discover a whole new world of window solutions. Contact us today.