Plastic on windows...

[Beekissed]

I will be putting it on our back porch windows, It is an enclosed porch but no insulation and just screen and storm windows. My son plays out there, the sun warm s it in the morning but when the wind blows it goes right thru. Its not heated and i just use a space heater sometimes so hopefully the plastic will retain enough heat for him to play later in the day.

That's where I have to put it, on an enclosed porch that is the farthest from the wood stove. It just has a storm door to the outside and storm windows that rattle with each gust of wind. It is amazing what that room feels like after putting the plastic on! I have converted this to my office as it is the quietest room and has a great view. A space heater can heat it if I'm going to be on the computer and such. Otherwise I just leave it as is and let the adjoining laundry room heat from the dryer or the small base board heater heat the space.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I have the opposite problem. Our windows and house are so well sealed--usually in the winter we have to keep a window cracked slightly, or mold starts to grow in the corners of the windows.

 

[ScottyG]

patandchickens - I totally don't think the plastic is a safety hazard, so didn't mean to be all weird about it. We just have certain extra careful things we do because my wife has some fear issues with escaping houses... we don't sleep on any upper floors, we leave all windows unblocked, etc. Mostly to make sure everyone feels safe, even if it's not necessarily any safer.

 

[roosmom]

Beekissed, I wasnt going to say anything because this probably wont happen to you, BUT...when I vented my dryer into my house for the extra heat and moistness, I ended up with mold growing on the windows nearest that room. Watch for that ok?

 

[FarmerChick]

I hear ya on that one ScottyG
some situations can be so frightening and stay with ya.....let her feel safe anyway she requires!!

 

[Beekissed]

Beekissed, I wasnt going to say anything because this probably wont happen to you, BUT...when I vented my dryer into my house for the extra heat and moistness, I ended up with mold growing on the windows nearest that room. Watch for that ok?

Hey! Thanks! The back portion of this old house is built right on the ground, so its a little moldy back there anyway....I will definitely be watching for this!

 

[Beekissed]

My wife barely escaped a house fire about 7 years ago, so the plastic on the windows thing kind of scares us for escape reasons. I suppose on certain kinds of windows we might be cool with it... Generally, we've just put in storm windows, and tried to get all the windows as tight-closing as possible before winter gets too bad.

ScottyG, I built a real sturdy ladder out of treated lumber and attached it to the outside of our house for our second story windows. We had a real old house and this made me feel much safer with the kids sleeping upstairs. We practiced fire drills and the kids loved it. It was not unattractive and it made me feel better...just one idea you could try to help your sweetheart feel better about the upstairs and fires. Our house burned down when I was 4 years old...it was terrible and I will never forget it. My mom and I were the only ones at home when it happened.

 

[Farmfresh]

Don't vent the dryer inside unless it is ELECTRIC. A GAS dryer vented inside could cause carbon monoxide and kill you.

I did some work on our old windows that really helped.

* First I removed all the wood trim.

* We have old double hung windows - complete with the window weights in the wall. The house is old and the top sash is so completely painted shut it will never open again (without dynamite) so I cut the weight that operated the top sash off and removed it. Then I filled that space (which was toward the outside of the house) with expandable foam insulation. This took a couple of passes with time to dry in between so I got it full as possible while still leaving a space for the front window weight and its rope. I foamed top and bottom spaces as well using a minimal expanding foam in those spots.

*I re-puttied all of the glass.

*I caulked the top and side rails of the storm windows - leaving the bottom caulk free for water drainage.

* I replaced sash ropes and weights and trim on the windows.

* I put a solar film on the storm window glass. I used Gila brand. It reflects sun (and heat) keeping the heat out in summer and inside in winter.

* I bought room darkening shades for all windows inside and outside plastic (bamboo type) slatted roll up shades for the windows that get direct sun in the summer. We remove these for winter solar heat gain.

* I have thick (blanket like) curtains for my bedroom (north east corner) windows for winter as well.

I also heard that some people add a pane of plexi glass to the inside of the windows as well, making in effect a double glazed window, but I have not done this.

It is AMAZING how much the steps above helped and really did not cost very much.

 

[Dodgegal79]

Yup I still do, the guy who built my house did a crappy job, the main part is a 1972 mobile then he added rooms on each side. There are 2 newer style windows and the rest are old old ones. One is half plywood, so I have that glued in with that expanding foam and then 2 layers of plastic. I put two layers on all my windows, seems to work better. My dryer vents into the house all the time, I don't have a hole in the wall for it. I tend to hang most things to fry anyways so it really doesn't make a differents.

 

[lupinfarm]

I have plastic film on the chicken coop windows, and will be putting it on the glass window in the front door (an older wood door), the old sash window on the porch, as well as all the others. I need to find a way to film over the nasty bay window that is getting replaced in the spring, as well as the unused door that is also getting replaced in the spring. I can't film over the bay inside due to the cat, and it's seal is broken so we caulked it like crazy when we moved in.