Do you remember carrying storm windows outside, and hoping that the wind didn’t catch you and carry you across the lawn!?
The idea behind storm windows, of course, is to provide a mostly-trapped layer of air as an insulator between the panes of glass. These days, homes often have double-paned windows, with argon or other inert gases trapped between the panes.
But some people live in houses or apartments that still have windows made of single-pane glass. They may sleep in rooms on the second floor (or higher), making it really hard to get that storm window in place. Or they may not own the property, reducing their incentive to improve the situation.
Thankfully, products are made where you tape plastic on the inside walls and use a hair dryer to shrink it to fit. But that can be expensive too, since you have to reapply it every year or lose the ability to open those windows in the milder weather. However, even reapplying it may not be as expensive as paying for the heat loss through the glass.
- Students create a re-usable window insert.
Some enterprising folks in Maine took on the challenge for older churches and homes, and designed and built light-weight and effective window inserts that can be placed inside the room–and also re-used for several years. This has been done rather inexpensively, with volunteer help.
Check it out in this newscast about Maine IPL’s “Window Dressers” project!
Green Interfaith Network, Inc., the TIPL affiliate in the TriCities area, is exploring the possibilities of making this project work for people in Upper East TN too. One of the volunteers with the Maine project is from the Columbia TN area, and she is stopping by Johnson City on Monday, Jan. 10th, to answer our questions and provide details about the project in Maine.
Stay tuned as we figure out the best way to use this strategy to help TN residents stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer, all the while saving energy (and money) at the same time. Win-WIn-Win!