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Hello. Today I'll tell you about self-insulation windows in the apartment and in a country house. Window insulation is very milestone real estate renovation, which should not be neglected if you are interested in the energy efficiency of your home and moderate heating bills.
To date, there are many ways of thermal insulation. The choice of one of the methods depends on the type of window.
This time you will learn how to make ordinary wooden windows and modern double-glazed windows warmer. In addition, I will talk about how to insulate openings outside the house with my own hands using inexpensive polystyrene foam.
Qualitatively made plastic double-glazed windows are equipped with special rubber seals, which, due to a snug fit to the frame, prevent the passage of air from outside into the room.
The areas through which the cold passes are:
So, what methods of metal-plastic double-glazed windows can be used for insulation?
Even after high-quality plastering of slopes, a microgap remains. If this micro-gap is not closed, it will cause cold air to circulate and condensation to form. As a result, a fungus may appear at the junction of the slopes and the frame.
To close the gap, you will need the following materials and tools:
Instructions for sealing seams are shown in the following diagram.
Let's take a closer look at these steps:
Sanitary sealant is completely removed with white spirit within 20 minutes after application. After 20 minutes, it will be very difficult to remove the sealant.
Now the most important thing to know when filling the gap between the slopes and the frame with sealant.
Typically, silicone is applied as follows. A person stands up to the window sill, puts the tube with a cone to the gap at an angle of 45-60 degrees and leads the tube towards himself.
As a result, the sealant is squeezed out by a worm, and it has to be leveled and smoothed with a finger, after which it is necessary to clean the adjacent surfaces. Even if you remove the silicone influxes, a layer of several microns will still remain and after a couple of weeks a strip dirty from dust will be visible in this place.
So that the silicone gets exactly into the gap and nowhere else we apply the cone of the tube at an angle of 45 degrees and lead it forward, and not towards ourselves. As a result, the tip of the cone itself will align the seam and there will be practically no pollution on the sides.
For insulation of ordinary double-glazed windows or a balcony with panoramic windows not every silicone is suitable, in extreme cases we use sanitary sealants, which subsequently will not mold.
Plastic windows at home can be additionally insulated with heat-saving film. No, now I'm not talking about pasting the frames with tape, it's useless here, I mean shrink film, with which you can create an additional air chamber between the glass and the room.
Do you know that the greatest heat losses on modern double-glazed windows are recorded not in the frame area, but directly on the panes?
Manufacturers convince us that argon or other inert gases are pumped between two glasses, which are less thermally conductive compared to air. But the problem is that the gas layer works for 2-3 years, after which the space between the two panes becomes airy.
Solving this problem is not difficult, as I showed in the diagram.
Consider the steps listed in the diagram in more detail:
The glass adjoining the frame is easiest to clean from accumulations of dirt using a hard toothbrush. Glass is well washed from the most difficult contaminants by vodka applied from a spray bottle and subsequently collected with a special scraper.
The use of thermal film cannot be called innovative, since this technology was used back in Soviet times. Then the usual polyethylene oilcloth with the help of a wooden glazing bead for the winter was stuffed on the window from the outside.
And what did we get as a result? As a result of such installation, the room was darker than usual, and one could forget about the beautiful views from the window until the arrival of spring.
The use of a special shrink film is completely devoid of such disadvantages. Again, if earlier, with the onset of the warm season, the oilcloth was dismantled from the frames, today it is not necessary to do this at all, since the thermal film is absolutely transparent.
By the way, in summer, an additional air gap between the glass and the film will prevent the penetration of heat into the room.
Thermal film with the same success can be installed both on plastic double-glazed windows and on wooden windows. True, in the latter case, wooden frames will have to be pre-aligned and painted.
Wooden windows are installed in your apartment or house and even foam rubber insulation does not save you from the cold? Of course, you can change the old wooden structures on plastic windows. On the other hand, you can leave environmentally friendly wooden windows, but make them much warmer.
Now I’ll tell you how to insulate wooden windows for the winter using Swedish technology.
Many have heard something about the Swedish technology, but not everyone knows what it is. In a few words, the Swedish technology for the restoration of wooden windows is a complex work, as a result of which a wooden window in terms of thermal conductivity will be comparable to plastic double-glazed windows.
The main stages of working with old windows using Swedish technology are listed in the following diagram.
Let's consider the above steps in more detail.
If the glass in the frames has cracks or small chips, they must be changed immediately, otherwise there will be no sense from the insulation.
So, now you know what Swedish technology is. The question is, how expedient is it to do the listed work with your own hands or still order the restoration of windows to specialists?
It would seem that for a question, because specialists will have to pay, while with your own hands you can do everything for free. But, in fact, this is not the case, because you have to buy a router and a pressure roller. The price of such a tool is high and it is unprofitable to buy it in order to do window insulation once.
Do-it-yourself wooden windows can be insulated not only from the inside, but also from the outside. The method that I’ll tell you about now is the best solution for budgetary thermal insulation of a country house.
To perform thermal insulation, you will need the following materials and tools:
What can be insulated with polystyrene foam? This method will allow you to seal old architraves or finish external slopes without the need for cementing. In addition, neatly executed cladding will surely decorate the facade of your house.
Instructions for performing thermal insulation are as follows:
We take into account that the width along the length of the slope on old windows can be different, so we use the largest value.
Expanded polystyrene, which is shown in the photo report, has a high density, and therefore can be used without additional finishing. However, if you choose to plaster your home, foam board trim can also be plastered over a paint grid.
You can learn how to plaster foam boards from my relevant articles.
I told what I knew about the insulation of windows in the house. Do you know of any effective ways besides those listed? Tell about it in the comments to read. In addition, I recommend watching the video in this article, I think it will be interesting.
Not all windows are as perfect as manufacturers describe. They also let in both the cold and the sound from the street. This problem has to be solved independently, so many people want to additionally insulate plastic windows.
But before starting work, it is necessary to learn everything about the methods of insulation and their features. After all, thermal insulation will have to be done not only from the inside, but also from the outside. So in order to properly insulate windows, you need to consider in more detail how to do it and with what materials.
Very often wooden windows are used for decoration attic rooms. Not all owners are now ready to change wooden frames for plastic profiles. Such windows have their drawbacks, so it is wiser to purchase wooden frames with plastic double-glazed windows, but their price will be too high. It will be much cheaper and easier to insulate simple windows, the main thing is to know how to work with the material correctly.
For effective insulation of wooden windows, first of all, it is necessary to identify all problem areas. And only then proceed to their insulation, choosing the most suitable material for this. Warming can be done in several ways. In one case, you can get by with ordinary old newspapers, which will play the role of a heat insulator. In another case, foam seals are used to insulate the room, which will provide a very tight fit to the frame.
If you pull out the old window, the inner slope will be destroyed and it will be constantly cold next to the opening. And after installing a new window, untreated foam may remain, spoiling appearance premises. Therefore, it is very important, when performing thermal insulation, to take into account all these features.
When working with a window opening, you need to pay attention to the following:
After completion of work, the final coating is applied to the surface. It can be different, but most often it is plaster painted with ordinary paint. You can also use drywall.
There are many ways to insulate windows. And only the owner of the house will be able to determine for himself the one that is right for him. It is worth considering in more detail the possibilities of insulating windows both inside and outside the room.
You can replace the sealant with putty for windows. The whole process remains the same as above. The only thing to do is to remove excess putty with a knife.
Since the foam breaks down very quickly under sunbeams, it must be immediately covered with a layer of any finishing material. Instead of foam, you can use a putty made by yourself. It's easy to prepare. You need to mix gypsum and chalk, in a ratio of 2: 1, add water and stir until the consistency of thick sour cream. With this mixture, you can easily fill all the cracks.
You need to glue the film very carefully and evenly. So that there are no bubbles. You need to work with gloves to avoid the appearance of greasy marks on the surface.
This option is one of the most effective and modern. Thermal insulation of this type can be compared with plastic windows in terms of efficiency. In this option, seals are used, for which special grooves are made in the window sashes.
All work is carried out in the following sequence.
This type of insulation will last up to twenty years, and therefore the high price is fully justified. It is better to entrust the work on insulation to specialists. However, if you have experience in carpentry, then you can do everything yourself.
Windows insulated using Swedish technology have excellent sound insulation, and their appearance does not deteriorate, even if the sashes are opened at any time of the year.
Insulation is needed not only for wooden windows, but also for PVC double-glazed windows. Usually such a need arises in cases where improper installation is made or operation is somehow complicated. Also, the reason for the insulation may be the poor quality of the double-glazed windows themselves.
To perform the correct insulation of plastic double-glazed windows for the winter, you need to follow the following instructions.
You can also use self-adhesive film for insulation of plastic windows, which will greatly reduce heat loss in the house. The edges of the tape must be cut with a clerical knife and pasted on a pre-prepared adhesive tape. All installation work is not very difficult, so you can do it yourself.
It is important to properly prepare the surface. It is necessary to clean it thoroughly and paste over the entire box from the inside with double-sided tape.
The weakest points of window design are:
If at least something is damaged, it will already blow from the windows. To determine the place of heat loss, simply run your hand over the surface of the window. Catching a breath of wind, you can understand that there is some kind of gap in this place. A lighter is also suitable for this, because the fire is sensitive to drafts.
You can also use a plain piece of paper. It must be pressed with a sash and pulled around the corner. If it pulls out easily, then it is better to change the seal.
The cause of heat loss can also be a mistake made during construction or installation. For example, the skewed windows resulting from the shrinkage of the house, which is relevant for people living in new buildings or wooden houses. Also, the problem may be misuse windows. Many people forget about the need to wash the window seal and treat it with glycerin, which leads to problems.
When insulating windows, it is very important to treat the surface inside the room. This will raise the temperature in the house or apartment by three or four degrees at once. It seems that this is not much, but if the insulation is carried out correctly, then the circulation of cold air will stop.
All excess foam is cut off, and the slopes are treated with putty. If it is polystyrene, then a polymer mesh is placed on top of it, and then plastering is done. The last step is priming and painting.
The window tide is also sealed with polyurethane foam. In this case, it is required to install a special bar for draining rainwater. It must be mounted at a slight slope. At the same time, wrap the edges a little so that the rain does not fall on the walls and windows. Joints should be sealed with silicone sealant.
The window sill can also be insulated with foam, because it is here that almost a third of the heat leaks. The last stage of external thermal insulation is painting.
To insulate a window in a house, you can turn to time-tested methods. Here are some of them.
Also, using paper, you can make an excellent putty. To do this, it needs to be crushed, soaked in water and squeezed out, add one part of clay and two parts of crushed chalk. This putty will perfectly cope with even the smallest cracks.
Another option is a simple paper pasting, which can be done with laundry soap or glue. It is created by hand. To do this, ordinary flour is mixed with water in equal proportions, mixed well and brought to a boil.
Metal-plastic windows are identical in their design and functionality to analogues made of plastic. The main difference between metal-plastic products is a reinforced frame made of galvanized steel and a large selection of shapes and custom designs. They can be made in the form of an arch, an oval.
Both metal-plastic and PVC models have excellent heat and noise insulation characteristics. reinforced metal carcass metal-plastic windows, thanks to the additional weight, it fits more tightly to the frame, ensuring tightness. The problems of thermal insulation of PVC windows are associated with the need for additional energy savings in cold climates or with design or installation deficiencies window products. Therefore, if you are looking for an answer to the question of how to insulate plastic windows in a house , you should familiarize yourself with the device of the window structure.
In the event of a problem during the warranty period, please contact the company.
As a rule, problems with the thermal insulation of plastic windows occur in the following cases:
In the process of work on the insulation of windows, it is important to pay special attention to the window sill. How to do it right, read here.
When choosing a window, remember that the quality of thermal insulation and energy saving will depend on:
Depending on the thickness of the glass and the number of chambers, double-glazed windows are:
The number of double-glazed windows in a metal-plastic window
IN broad sense Under fittings it is customary to understand the mechanism for opening and locking a window, the modes and details that provide it. The main function of fittings is reliable sealing. To ensure that cold air and moisture do not penetrate into the room, and the window does not freeze through, the tightness of the structure must be complete. Therefore, for the energy saving of an apartment or a private house, fittings are just as important as a reliable double-glazed window.
Hardware details must provide:
The quality of the window fittings affects not only the longevity, but also the thermal conductivity
Improper installation of window structures can lead to serious problems that cannot be eliminated without carrying out the entire procedure again. Therefore, compliance with the requirements and stages of installation must be approached very carefully, starting with the choice of brand of mounting foam and sealant, and measurements. If you decide to entrust this procedure to professionals, then first you need to make sure that the entire procedure will be carried out in accordance with GOST. Compliance with GOST is a guarantee of the quality of work and the effective functioning of the product. Installation and installation of plastic windows is regulated by the main 2002. If the installation is carried out by the same company where you purchased the goods, it would be useful to find out if the product itself complies with GOST. Requirements for thermal insulation of plastic windows have been established.1 Heat transfer and SNiP Thermal protection of buildings.
In order to verify the quality of the work performed, it is necessary to control the implementation of the following operations:
Window installation with quality sealants
If you have come to the conclusion that your window needs additional insulation, you can resort to the following simple methods.
For a selection of the most effective and proven ways to insulate windows for the winter, see this link
The procedure is carried out in the following sequence:
For warm window correct installation of window slopes is important
In specialized stores, ready-made insulated slopes will save a lot of time. The material in them is extruded polystyrene foam. The energy efficiency of expanded polystyrene is 2-3 times higher than that of polystyrene.
Styrofoam as a filler material is suitable for window sill insulation. The window sill is removed, a layer of foam is laid, the gaps are sealed with mounting foam and the window sill is put in place.
Metal-plastic windows in our country began to be actively installed only 20 years ago, although in Europe they were appreciated much earlier.
Correctly, the material from which such windows are made is called polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It was invented by the German chemist Regnald in 1835, but for almost a hundred years the discovery had no practical use.
Only in the last century did Germany master the industrial PVC production- Its founder is considered to be the German scientist Fritz Klatte, who in 1913 received the first patent for this, and PVC began to be mass-produced since 1931.
Later, the German designer Heinz Pasche patented plastic window frames. In the 60s, the technology was improved, and in Europe there was a real "window boom". It also reached Russia and the CIS countries, albeit with a great delay, and at present the demand for metal-plastic windows is only growing.
Consumers appreciate PVC frames for their durability (which is no worse than wooden ones), environmental friendliness, weather resistance, effective heat and noise insulation, ease of maintenance, and the fact that windows of any shape can be made from PVC profiles.
Even during installation, metal-plastic windows are insulated with special rubber insulation and sealants. For the first year or two this is quite enough, but after a certain time there is a need for additional insulation.
There are several reasons why metal-plastic windows lose their tightness over time.
Sealing rubber profiles shrink sooner or later, become smaller, and therefore, in the place where the window sash is adjacent to the frame, air begins to leak.
If the cause of the drafts walking around the apartment is only in the worn-out rubber seal, then it must be replaced.
First of all, we remove the glazing beads (starting with the side plates), dismantle the double-glazed window, remove the old sealant, cut off the new sealant tape a little more (by 3-5 cm) than the old one, carefully lay the new sealant and put the double-glazed window in place together with linings and glazing beads.
Some try to get by with lubricating the dried rubber with silicone grease, but this method only works for a few hours.
There is a shrinkage of the walls of the house, and with it - deformation window openings. If you live in an old house, this is unlikely to threaten you. But in newly built houses this happens very often. What to do? Buy a new seal and fill the gaps with it.
The cause of heat leakage through metal-plastic windows may be the weakening of the eccentrics of the closing fittings. Eccentrics are located at the end of the window sash. If you have a standard sash, they can be found on the side where the handle is placed.
If the sash is reclining, then the eccentrics are located on the vertical ends on both sides. In this case, the insulation of plastic windows begins with adjustment using fittings, for which you need a hexagonal wrench by four millimetres.
They need to adjust the clamping eccentrics. To do this, slowly turn them to a horizontal position, checking after each step how easily the sash closes.
Builders' mistakes are also possible - for example, incorrectly made slopes or gaps between the window and the window sill left unattended, through which cold air from the street enters the house.
In any case, cracks are best identified in winter, and insulation should be carried out in warm, calm and dry weather.
You should think about the insulation of PVC windows even at the stage of their installation, but if for some reason this did not happen, there are several completely budget options correct the post-factum situation.
If you are on a budget, one of the cheapest options is to cover the window with any material that retains heat.
Windows with wooden frames often hung with woolen blankets: several nails were driven into the upper part of the frame, and, accordingly, holes were made in the blanket for these nails (or the blanket was simply nailed).
For plastic windows this option is not suitable, because you risk ruining the frame once and for all. But here you can attach a dense fabric to adhesive tape: it will become less blowing. The only negative is that the fabric will block the light from the street.
Another cheap option for insulating double-glazed windows is pasting them with plastic wrap. It is transparent, so there will be no dusk in your house. But the film will add heat. In addition, it is easy to mount and dismantle.
There is a film specially designed for metal-plastic windows - heat-saving PVI. Its surface is covered with a special metal coating that reflects infrared rays and retains heat inside the room.
An interesting way is to insulate not the window itself, but the blinds. To do this, strips of woolen fabric are glued to the details of the blinds. The process is laborious, but it turns out cheaply and with high quality.
Most original method- put an electric heating system on the windows, as in a car. On sale you can find various heaters that are installed on window sills, and spirals attached to glass with glue. The house will not only be warm, but even hot. Only this method can hardly be called budgetary.
Currently, there are many materials that can be used to insulate PVC windows.
Polyurethane foam is one of the most affordable and frequently used heaters, but it quickly loses its properties from temperature extremes, exposure ultraviolet radiation and even plain air. Therefore, in this case it is necessary to purchase a special polyurethane foam for mounting windows.
"Warm" mixtures are best used for outdoor work - when waterproofing a plaster mortar is needed, a moisture-proof primer and painting are used.
Even a housewife can handle sealants when it comes to sealing small gaps between the window profile and the window sill, slopes and ebbs. The main thing is not to forget to wash and degrease the window sill and slopes before this.
Fire-resistant, environmentally friendly, efficient insulation.
Affordable. Not affected by microorganisms. Has low water absorption. Vapor proof. Most often used to eliminate gaps in the slopes of windows.
Better quality in strength thermal insulation characteristics and water absorption than foam.
Often heat leaks occur due to the lack of or poorly made external slopes, as well as poorly fitted, uninsulated window sills.
If external slopes are not installed, then over time, the mounting foam deforms under the influence of the external environment and loses its properties. In such cases it is necessary:
The same materials (mineral wool, polystyrene or EPS) are also used to insulate window sills. To do this, the window sill is removed, a layer of insulation is laid - and the window sill is returned to its place.
Before starting work, all surfaces that may be damaged are sealed with construction (but by no means packaging!) tape.
Why insulate plastic windows? This reasonable question arises, for sure, among all owners of modern hermetic structures, because manufacturers sold us a perfect product with perfect thermal insulation. Installation errors, improper operation, house shrinkage and time can play a cruel joke even with the most quality windows. Do not rush to change the entire structure - you can try to insulate plastic windows with your own hands. It's easy and short. We deal with the weak points of modern windows and learn how to eliminate them.
Qualitatively made and installed plastic windows in the first years will certainly be a reliable barrier to cold air, drafts and noise. Over the years, of course, problems can appear, and often the user himself is to blame. With dishonest installation, various defects can make themselves felt in the first season.
The most common reasons for additional thermal insulation of plastic windows:
Window Bad quality or with inappropriate climatic conditions technical characteristics will also not be able to provide normal thermal insulation, so it is so important to be able to choose the right plastic window and immediately decide on a suitable double-glazed window.
To spend effective insulation plastic windows, you must first figure out in which places the tightness is broken. Immediately, only the frame can be deleted from the list of suspects: multi-chamber plastic is a good heat insulator, it does not dry out, unlike wood.
Cold air can penetrate through such structural elements:
A double-glazed window rarely causes a violation of thermal insulation (an exception is its depressurization), but it can also be additionally insulated. "Extra" heat in winter does not hurt.
Detect leaky items window simple - just run your palm along and across the entire structure, and you will feel that in some places it is blowing decently. Some advise using a lighter for this purpose. If you light a flame and run it around the perimeter of the window, maintaining a safe distance, then it will tilt in those places where there is even a small draft. Be extremely careful with this method!
As a rule, work on the insulation of a plastic window can be done by hand. The exception is cases when it is necessary to insulate slopes with outside and the apartment is located above the second floor. You need to be prepared that complex insulation may be needed if several leak zones are found warm air, but first things first.
Shrinkage of the house and weather factors can lead to a slight distortion of the window sashes and slight deformation of the sealing gum. This leads to a deterioration in thermal insulation, but in this case, returning to its former tightness is a matter of a couple of minutes, however, knowledge of the design of the plastic window and skills in working with tools will be needed.
Presser adjustment can be carried out with the help of special eccentrics located along the perimeter of the wings. To make the sash fit tighter, the eccentric must be turned clockwise using a 4 mm hex wrench. Focus on the serif located on each such element. When it is directed towards the street, the clamp is loosened, towards the seal it is strengthened. Everything is well shown in the video.
Sometimes a simple window helps to insulate a plastic window. loop regulation, which also have their own mechanism responsible for the pressure density. Here the regulation is carried out using a hexagon. You should be guided by a simple rule: if the tongue is strongly advanced, then the sash fits well. To pull it out, you need to turn the hexagon counterclockwise if the hinges are on the left, and clockwise if on the right.
Things are even easier with glazing bead. It is enough to pry off the old departed glazing bead with a thin spatula, and install a new one in its place, which can be bought from the same company that sold and installed the windows for you.
After adjustment, check whether the tightness of the structure has improved, with the palm of your hand or with a lighter. If everything is done correctly, and the draft is still walking, then you will most likely have to change the seal.
Ideally, a rubber seal can last a long time, but certain conditions must be met for this. According to the rules for the operation of plastic windows, the seal must be regularly lubricated with special substances, but which of us does this? So it turns out that after 5 years the rubber dries out and begins to let in a cold breeze from the street. The problem may be in the seal, which is located under the glass, or in what is located along the contour of the sash. Replacing the seal in a plastic window is not as difficult as it is responsible. If you doubt your skills, it is better to call a specialist.
Procedure for replacing the glass seal:
May need to be replaced sealant, which is located along the contour of the sash. In this case, it is better to remove the sash. First, decorative trims are dismantled from the hinges, and then with the help of mounting handle or a screwdriver is pulled out the pin from the hinge. It remains to carefully remove the sash, and only then it is very easy to remove the old seal from it. It is better to start installing a new seal from the top of the sash, gently pressing it, but not stretching it. It is better to fix the beginning and end of the sealing tape with glue. All! It remains only to hang the sash back: the pin can be installed with bare hands, and then the decorative trim can be returned to its place. The video is very well shown and described.
Installation of a plastic window is often associated with decent damage, they are especially significant in the area between the wall and the window sill. Some installers fill the gaps with cement and construction debris. There are no comments here. It is better, of course, when the space under the window sill is filled with mounting foam, but this option is not ideal either. Foam can shrink or even dry out over time, decent gaps are formed through which cold air enters the house.
To insulate a plastic window, you will have to get rid of the old foam and fill in a new one. Keep in mind that it tends to expand when solidified. After complete solidification, the excess is cut off; some builders recommend additionally filling small cracks with silicone sealant. This is followed by plastering and application decorative coating.
If possible, the window sill area can be additionally insulated from the outside. For this, mounting foam is also used, but sometimes foam is also used. From above, everything is plastered over the grid and finished.
Today, often when installing plastic windows, slopes are additionally installed, even, beautiful, made of dense plastic. It often happens that there is a large crack between the decorative strip and the wall, which perfectly conducts cold and wind into the apartment, therefore, to improve the thermal insulation of plastic windows, it is recommended to insulate the slopes from the inside or outside.
The procedure is as follows:
The above methods will allow you to reliably insulate plastic windows and get rid of all the cracks, but it is possible to make the structure even warmer - it will not only not let the cold into the apartment, but will also prevent warm air from leaving the apartment. This is not magic, but reality, which is achieved through the use of:
Heat-saving film- a thin transparent material that does not change the optical properties of the glass, but reflects the thermal energy back into the apartment. The effect is achieved due to the presence of a thin metal layer. Of course, when it comes to plastic windows, it is better to use a special heat-saving double-glazed window - its efficiency is many times higher than any film, but if a regular double-glazed window is installed in existing windows, then additional insulation will not be superfluous.
You can easily handle the installation of the film with your own hands:
Glass heating it is already more difficult to equip, it is better to do this at the stage of window installation, but most window companies can install such a system already on an installed window. Heating is carried out at the expense of the electric heating spiral which is built in glass.
Well, and finally, the most banal, simple and versatile ways to make the window a little warmer. This thick curtains and woolen blinds. The latter can be done by wrapping ordinary blinds with a woolen cloth.
It is better to carry out work on the insulation of plastic windows on a warm, dry day, since it is no longer possible to work with many materials at temperatures below +5 ... +10 0 С, and you can let the cold into the apartment. In order to face the problem of insulating a modern window as late as possible, it is worth taking the choice of a window manufacturer as seriously as possible, paying attention to the selection of optimal technical characteristics, focusing on the climate of the region. It is also important to choose a responsible installer and remember to properly maintain the window.
Large heat losses in the cold season make you think about how to insulate plastic windows for the winter with your own hands. In many cases, it is worth inviting professionals for this, but there are problems that you can fix yourself.
Most of the heat loss in the house occurs through window openings. The roof, floor and walls are significantly inferior in this indicator.
The low temperature is uncomfortable, significantly reduces the quality of life, and not only the comfort of home is gone. Together with the heat, the money spent on the “communal” or heating natural resources also leaves the home.
Therefore, practical owners think in a timely manner about how to insulate a double-glazed window in plastic window structures. This reduce housing costs will make life more comfortable.
Modern plastic windows, due to the materials and design features, are significantly superior to wooden ones in terms of thermal insulation and sound insulation. However, for a number of reasons, these properties may be lost:
Another reason may be the poor quality of the materials used in the manufacture and installation of plastic windows.
If there are problems with the tightness of plastic windows, you should find hot air leaks. First of all, it is necessary to exclude the presence of holes, cracks, loose fitting of the valves. You can use simple methods:
The problem may be hidden by slope panels or a window sill: perhaps insulation material collapsed, and a void appeared, the heat-saving properties of the window were lost. Before dismantling the structural elements of plastic windows, conduct an examination:
Methods for solving the problem are chosen depending on the place of its localization, the cause of the occurrence and the materials used.
The slopes from the street side are insulated before the installation of the window block, because some of the connecting seams will then be inaccessible. But if a violation of thermal insulation has occurred, insulation window slopes outside should be entrusted to specialists especially if the apartment is on the second floor or higher.
The slope panel is dismantled, the plaster layer is removed, the surface is cleaned and primed.
After that, a decorative panel is mounted or plastered, painted with thixotropic paint.
How to insulate the slopes of plastic windows inside? To do this, proceed in a similar way. But first it makes sense to dismantle only the decorative corners framing the slopes.
Perhaps the disadvantage is easy to eliminate with mounting gun and foam by simply filling in the blanks.
If more difficult work is to be done, they begin with the dismantling of the cladding. If the damage is insignificant, it is enough to fill the voids with heat-insulating material.
Heavily damaged sheets of thermal insulation are removed, new ones are strengthened. This can be done with the help of mounting construction foam, it will also serve as an additional insulation. Before installing a new material, all surfaces must be cleaned, primed ( better composition deep penetration), the seams are treated with sealant or glued.
If as thermal insulation material only foam serves, the joints of the foam with a plastic frame are also treated with a sealant. This will prevent the accumulation of moisture, rotting and ugly streaks.
After repairing the insulation layer, they mount cladding panels. This material serves not only decorative trim, but also creates additional thermal protection.
Do not forget to check the "protective" qualities of the window sill. A few tips on how to insulate a plastic window sill:
Over the years of operation of plastic windows, an elastic rubber seal aging, losing elasticity, and with it the heat-shielding properties. Insulation replacement in PVC windows well within the power of the homeowner:
Seals, which are sold in hardware stores, vary in color, but are approximately the same in terms of material quality.
Often air is let in by opening window sashes due to poor adjustment pressure. Trouble is eliminated with a 4 mm hexagon.
The control device is located at the end of the window frame. Rotating the eccentric with a key, monitor the position of the signal risk. In winter, it should be directed inside the room, in winter - to the street, in the off-season, occupy an intermediate position.
Additional sealing of plastic windows is achieved adjustment of the position of the sash on the frame. The mechanism is hidden in the hinges. By loosening or tightening the adjusting screw, the optimal position of the sash is adjusted.
Consider how to insulate a plastic window by choosing optimal view material. The determining factors when choosing how to insulate plastic windows are affordability, ease of use, durability, and safety.
Basalt (stone, mineral) wool:
A new inexpensive, easy-to-use material is gaining popularity - heat-insulating plastic window film. It is glued directly on the glass and allows you to effectively insulate a damaged double-glazed window in any plastic windows. Energy-saving properties are provided by a special metal-containing coating that reflects infrared radiation and does not release heat. Strengths:
Among the few shortcomings is a short service life, after 2 years a replacement will be required.
With the help of an energy-saving film, noticeable results in heat saving can be achieved. Consider the algorithm for applying this material to a plastic window:
Paste a large window area with new material together. Remember, in the process of sticking the film should not come into contact with the surface of the double-glazed window, it must not be stretched too much to avoid tearing.
As a result of the last manipulation, the film is stretched, leveled, becomes transparent and matte. So in an easy way to insulate a double-glazed window in plastic windows is within the power of any owner.
When carrying out work on sealing plastic windows that have lost their heat-shielding properties with their own hands, inexperienced owners make typical mistakes:
Take care of the "health" of windows. The weather in the house will always be good if its thermal protection is in order. Any, even the smallest crack, will cause a large heat leakage. Timely conduct an audit and eliminate defects, following simple, but very important rules.
The determining factor for replacing old wooden windows with new ones, metal-plastic or PVC, is their ability to retain heat in a house or apartment. Naturally, when installing double-glazed windows, few people were interested in how they would behave in the future. Will they let the cold through, is it possible to insulate plastic windows if necessary, and is it necessary to do this? If so, how to prepare windows for winter and what is the best way to provide thermal insulation of windows and openings.
A plastic or metal-plastic window, like any composite structure, has weaknesses. They are the potential "gates" for heat leakage from the room.
To understand why it is blowing from a PVC window, you need to examine the nodes, and for this you need to know the design principle of the window unit.
Window block device - main elements 
The design of the plastic window and door - a list of elements
The presence of a defect in one of the components of the window block leads to the fact that it blows from plastic windows. There are three ways to determine the exact place of heat loss of metal-plastic windows:
Of course, eliminate the source of the draft. From a practical point of view, there are two simple options- call the master to repair-adjust (expensive) windows or do it yourself (cheap).
The desire to close all the cracks on their own with improvised means is reduced to nothing, because: firstly, it is not aesthetically pleasing, and secondly, there are no guarantees.
However, often the cost of attracting specialists is equal to the cost of installing a new window, and this fact makes it more profitable to do the insulation work yourself.
Repair and insulation should be done before the onset of cold weather. This is due to requirements such as:
The choice of insulation depends on the place of blowing.
To insulate the window opening, you can use different materials and ways:
After the issue of how to insulate is resolved, we will deal with the question of how to insulate a double-glazed window, frame, plastic, aluminum profile, etc.
External insulation of windows is carried out in the following areas:
The first step to improve the thermal insulation properties of the window. Whatever insulation measures are taken in the house, until the slopes from the street are insulated, the cold will still come inside. At the same time, external insulation allows you to shift the dew point, which will prevent the appearance of dampness and the development of fungus. Covering cracks is a temporary measure, because. over time, the plaster layer will begin to crack and expose the mounting foam, which will collapse under the influence of atmospheric phenomena. But as a protection for insulation, plaster is an excellent solution.
Work order:
To insulate the ebbs, it is enough to foam all the cracks or place heat-insulating material in them. To avoid water getting on the heat-insulating material, a metal lath of the window tide is installed on top. The plank is installed at an angle (at least 5 °), its horizontal edge extends from the facade (by 20-30 mm), and the side edges are wrapped up. It is recommended to treat the junction of the plank with the surfaces with a sealant.
Insulation of windows from the inside of the room is carried out in the following areas:
Internal slopes are less affected by external factors, but put forward more requirements for the aesthetic component. Therefore, it is important to know how to insulate the slopes of plastic windows without losing the attractiveness of the window.
The gap between the wall and the window sill is one of the places of significant heat loss. Before deciding how to insulate the window sill of a plastic window, you need to determine its weak point, i.e. from where it blows. For example, blowing is possible between the plastic parts of the window and the window sill. In this case, it is recommended to use a sealant.
Heat loss between the window sill and the wall is also possible. In this case, insulation is carried out before the window sill is installed by laying a layer of heat-insulating material. And also after its installation - by foaming the distance between the window sill and concrete wall or brickwork.
To reduce heat loss, you need to adjust the fittings (components) of the window unit.
how to adjust plastic window and door fittings
Elimination of blowing through plastic windows is possible by replacing the rubber seal. You can change the seal with your own hands, everything is simple there - just pull out the old seal and insert a new one into the groove (groove).
Which sealant is best? Please note that there are black and gray window heaters on the market. The black seal is more plastic, but the attractive light color is due to various additives that reduce the cost of the window seal, and at the same time, worsen its properties (pressure tightness).
Window insulation often negatively affects indoor ventilation. Complete tightness is protection from the cold, but it is also fogging of the glass, which leads to the destruction of slopes and the appearance of fungus. The problem is solved by periodic ventilation of the room, micro-ventilation, installation forced ventilation and so on.
As winter approaches and the weather gets colder, you notice a draft moving through the apartment. By placing your hand near the window on a windy night, you find a source of agonizing coolness. Enough to endure this and sleep under three blankets! There are many ways to insulate windows. They range from simple to complex, from virtually free to quite expensive, from "old-fashioned" methods to modern technologies. In this longread, we tried to collect the most effective methods.
Before we take drastic action, let's look at the possible causes of drafts coming from windows. It would seem that wooden windows retain more heat due to their material, while plastic windows, a relatively new achievement in science and technology, are simply designed for heat and sound insulation. Then why can they let a draft into our house?
It is wise to start by diagnosing the situation. Determine the most critical places from which the wind blows. Where does the cold come from: from the windowsill or window sashes? Maybe the problem is a worn seal or poor-quality slopes?
To determine the exact place from which cold air is blowing, you can simply run your hand over the surface of the window unit. If this method fails to identify the problem, light a candle or lighter and move them around the frame - the fire is more sensitive to drafts.
Look at the windows when it's raining. Moisture that has accumulated in a certain place will indicate gaps and crevices. When moisture builds up in the corner of a window or along one of its edges, the problem is probably in the joints. Moisture that builds up in the middle of a window pane could indicate some type of crack in the glass.
Perhaps the wind is blowing due to a poor-quality seal. Try putting a piece of paper in an open window and closing the window completely. If the paper is easily pulled out as soon as you pull the corner of the sheet, then the seal is not pressed against the frame well.
Before you choose a method of insulation from the available ones, you should think about the goals of insulation. It is clear that temperature control is the main concern, but what compromises are you willing to make? Will you be able to refuse in favor of cheapness beautiful view, restrict the flow of light or block access to the window?
You also need to consider cost. Some materials cost almost nothing: say, sealant can be bought for a couple of hundred rubles. More reliable and durable solutions will cost more and may require the help of a specialist, but in the long run may be a worthy investment.
To insulate windows, you have, in general, only two options: do all the work yourself or contact a professional. With your own hands, it is enough to simply insulate the window sill, the frame contour, the window opening inside the room or replace the seal. If any defect appears during the warranty period, the installer will have to fix all the problems. In addition, it is worth resorting to the help of installers if external insulation work is required, and the window is located at a considerable height - its replacement or repair work can be associated with an increased risk, and specialists know exactly how to insulate plastic windows from the outside with high quality.
It is worth remembering that it is better to insulate windows before the onset of winter - then the working conditions will be more comfortable. In addition, sealants and some other building materials can only be used in a certain temperature range, otherwise they lose their properties.
If you need to insulate a window opening, then mounting foam is suitable. Expanding, it fills the voids in the opening and prevents the movement of air. However, foam is a short-lived material exposed to low temperatures and will be suitable for a small gap. Also a popular insulation is mineral wool, which has heat and sound insulation. She is resistant to high temperatures and easy to install.
Carry out insulation window frames silicone sealant will also help. It is best to use an inexpensive tool when working with it - a lever syringe. The sealant also blocks moisture, making windows resistant to mold and mildew. It is also worth choosing a transparent sealant - so it will not be noticeable if it accidentally hits the glass.
Before applying sealant or expansion foam, it is worth checking exactly how much they expand - to determine this, apply a small drop to the corner of the window.
Another way from the category of "cheap and cheerful" is to plug the cracks in the windows. technical wool and then seal with masking tape. Previously, instead of adhesive tape, fabric or paper strips with laundry soap paste were used. But when using this option, its fragility is obvious, and it will not completely eliminate blowing.
A good and inexpensive insulation for plastic windows is foam rubber: cash costs will be minimal. Remove the film from the adhesive surface of the insulation and press the foam window insulation in the required places. With the onset of warming, it is very easy to remove. However, if moisture gets in, the insulation may lose its tightness.
To insulate the slopes of plastic windows, you can use a variety of materials - sandwich panels, drywall, polystyrene or expanded polystyrene. However, foam is the most fragile of the listed materials and tends to accumulate moisture. If it is necessary to insulate the window from the outside, dry mixes for finishing the slopes will help.
First you need to carefully treat the cracks - eliminate possible pollution and remove the old mounting foam. If you chose drywall for insulation of slopes, then the sequence of actions is as follows:
External insulation works are carried out at temperatures up to +5 ° C, otherwise building materials may lose some of their properties.
You can use a special heat-saving film for window insulation. It transmits light into the room and at the same time does not "release" infrared radiation. Such a film not only saves the heat of our house, but also helps to get rid of the effect of " weeping windows", that is, from . Also, windows on which a heat-saving film is pasted are characterized by greater strength. Before starting work, it is important to wash the glass, treat it with a degreasing agent and wipe it dry. Next, you need to stick the film so that its "metal" side looks out onto the street. The film is glued not only on the glass itself, but also with an overlap on the frame. Some manufacturers make films on a self-adhesive basis, but some types of film require adhesive tape. To prevent bubbles and wrinkles on the film, use a household hair dryer.
A simple and inexpensive life hack that will help you cope with a draft is to attach bubble wrap to the window. Choose film with large bubbles as it will generally handle cold air better. Trim the bubble wrap so that it overlaps the window frame slightly. Spray the window with water from a spray bottle, then "glue" a sheet of cut wrapping film onto the wet glass. You can secure it with double sided tape. The “bumpy” side should face the glass. The film should set without difficulty and remain in place for several months. If desired, you can apply a double layer of film for better thermal insulation. The only negative is that this method blocks the view from the window, but the light will nevertheless enter the room.
Sew a plain fabric to fit the width of the window. Fill it with some loose solid material like sand, rice, or polyester, then place it along the bottom of the window. Heavy materials (denim, corduroy) in this case will retain cold air more effectively than light materials (cotton, knitwear, etc.).
If the problem is a worn seal, you can replace it yourself by choosing the right one in hardware store. It is also better to choose a sealant in black: black is the natural color of rubber, and impurities of other colors can spoil the quality of the product. After the old seal is removed, it is necessary to clean the grooves from dust and dirt, treat the corners of the frame with glue and cut off the excess with scissors. The resulting joint also needs to be treated with glue.
People have been using wooden windows for a very long time, so the question “How to insulate old wooden windows?” there are many answers.
