4 Cheap Ways to Fix Drafty Windows and Doors
Bring on the Heat
On average, 10 to 25 percent of a home’s heat escapes through its windows. If you’re feeling drafts, you should consider reglazing or even replacing your windows.
But if you can’t because of time—or budget—first weatherstrip, then try these other temporary solutions to fix drafty windows on a budget to help beat the chill.
Plastic Film
Applied to panes with double-sided tape and sealed using the heat from a hair dryer, this inexpensive clear shrink film can allow a room to retain as much as 55 percent of its heat.
In a pinch, bubble wrap makes an effective replacement; just push the bubble side of the wrap against the glass and adhere with double-sided tape.
Reader Tip: Wanona Calderone of Kansas City, Missouri, shared her own twist on the bubble wrap method: “I cut Bubble Wrap to the size of my window panes, spray water on the glass, and apply like a window cling for a quick and easy double-pane effect. You do not block solar warmth, and it even looks good—kind of old-fashioned. It’s perfect for an 1880 house with single-pane glass. It’s easier to put up and take down than those shrink-wrap window kits and, of course, cheaper, too.” Her pro move: using electric scissors to cut the Bubble Wrap straight.
Shown: Duck Crystal Clear Shrink Film, about $6.59 per pack, Home Depot.
Draft Snakes
One way to fix drafty windows on a budget is to stop cold air from creeping through windowsills with a snake. You can buy one online, or easily make one yourself by filling a tube of fabric, like an old knee sock, with dry rice.
For a more polished temporary fix on other parts of the window, consider pairing your draft snake with shrink-wrap plastic film. Applied to panes with double-sided tape and sealed using the heat from a hair dryer, this inexpensive clear film can allow a room to retain as much as 55 percent of its heat. In a pinch, bubble wrap makes an effective replacement—just push the bubble side of the wrap against the glass and adhere with double-sided tape.
Pro Tip: To track down exactly where drafts are getting in, try the incense test: close all windows, exterior doors, and the chimney-flue damper, then light a stick of incense and move it around the perimeter of each window. Watch for air that interrupts the delicate rise of smoke—that’s where you need to focus your sealing efforts.
Rigid Foam
For basement and attic windows you don’t need to see out of, cover the panes with a piece of foam board glued to ⅜-inch drywall. Cut pieces to fit snugly inside the frame, press the foam side against the glass, then simply pop out when you want to let in sunlight.
On one This Old House project, the crew faced tight existing conditions around windows where they couldn’t build anything out. Their solution: 2-inch foil-faced rigid foam board, which delivered an R-value of 13 — impressive performance for such a slim profile. “Pretty good for 2 inches,” host Kevin O’Connor noted as contractor Charlie cut panels to fit snugly into each bay.
Shown: FOAMULAR 1/2 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. R-3 Square Edge Rigid Foam Board Insulation Sheathing, about $14.50 per 8-4-foot panel, Home Depot
