# DIY acrylic/plexiglass window inserts to reduce draft



## suburbanbeat (Feb 6, 2017)

Hi all. I have beautiful, 100 year-old, single-pane casement windows. I love them but this recent cold snap has me realizing just how inefficient they are. Our furnace is struggling to keep up with the cold which means an all-hands-on-deck effort to insulate our old house.

When we first bought the house, my wife and I discussed creating a plexiglass insert that would fit inside our very large window frames. (about 3' x 5'). Now I'm ready to actually do it. I was going to make a nice, wooden frame, but since we're in emergency mode, I am now planning on just getting large acrylic sheets cut to size, popping them in, and weather stripping around the edges.

These acrylic sheets are really expensive, so I need to know if folks have done this before and that it works. I've found that there are actually companies, like this one, that manufacture similar inserts. For that reason, I have to figure that this would work. By my estimation, those Indow Windows would cost about $450/each (we would need 3). The only benefit as far as I can tell are that they have that convenient flexible seal around the edge so that it forms a tight seal just by popping it in.

So, my question is this: would putting weatherstripped, acrylic sheets inside my window frames help to prevent drafts? Would there be any benefit to shelling out for the manufactured version?

Bonus question: is there a seal, similar to what that company uses, that I can just buy at a hardware store? Seems like the kind of thing that would go on a shower door or something. What is that called?

Ok, thanks much!


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

suburbanbeat said:


> Hi all. I have beautiful, 100 year-old, single-pane casement windows. I love them but this recent cold snap has me realizing just how inefficient they are. Our furnace is struggling to keep up with the cold which means an all-hands-on-deck effort to insulate our old house.
> 
> When we first bought the house, my wife and I discussed creating a plexiglass insert that would fit inside our very large window frames. (about 3' x 5').
> 
> ...


1. You have casement windows that are _3' X5' ???_ Those are some big , honkin' sashes !

2. The plex inserts will likely _not_ stop drafts . Drafts usually occur between the sash & the jamb/sill . You should check these surfaces for leakage .

3. I _think_ you are talking about either a bulb or v-seal .

The plex inserts _will_ prevent _some_ radiant heat loss and minimize interior condensation/icing . But I would isolate the source of the draft first .......

Edit: What is your location ?


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

I'd be looking at the plastic cover products, 3M makes one:
https://www.target.com/p/3m-indoor-...zWD3bw659PEQ2jXdPsBoCO3EQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

stick\shift said:


> I'd be looking at the plastic cover products, 3M makes one:
> https://www.target.com/p/3m-indoor-...zWD3bw659PEQ2jXdPsBoCO3EQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


These work quite well despite them seeming cheap. The first house the wife and I bought was built in 1952 and had wood windows. The sashes had been up and down a few times over the years (lol)and leaked pretty badly. Being on a very tight budget, I pulled every sash over the summer, stripped them to bare wood and replaced every pane of glass. Repainted them and put them back. The first winter we discovered that when you walked within a foot of one you could feel the breeze. I put this material on every window and it made a huge difference.


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## suburbanbeat (Feb 6, 2017)

Hey, so in anticipation of winter, I am going to try this project on at least one of our smaller casement windows. My local hardware store does cut large pieces of plexiglass for not very much. So, my plan is to get a piece cut only slightly smaller than the interior window frame, glue the inside of the foam edge trim shown below, and work that along the edge of the entire window. I hope that the hollow tube running on the outside of the trim will create a tight seal. 

If I can find a friend with a thermal camera, maybe I'll take some readings with and without the window insert in place. If it works, this will be a hell of a lot easier to put in every year instead of struggling with the cellophane kits, and it will definitely look less... terrible. Wish me luck!


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## suburbanbeat (Feb 6, 2017)

Oops, here is the edging I plan to use for a seal!

https://www.amazon.com/Trim-Lok-Tri..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=74VCFW21F7GFCP15K357


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## justahammerswinger (5 mo ago)

suburbanbeat said:


> Oops, here is the edging I plan to use for a seal!
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Trim-Lok-Tri..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=74VCFW21F7GFCP15K357


How did this turn out?


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## justahammerswinger (5 mo ago)

stick\shift said:


> I'd be looking at the plastic cover products, 3M makes one:
> https://www.target.com/p/3m-indoor-window-insulator-kit-five-window/-/A-14773969?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Home+Improvement+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Home+Improvement_Top Performers&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9019684&gclid=CjwKCAiAm7LSBRBBEiwAvL1-L3HYeQIR_VNK7RQAGbRh-AY8yP4J3PZ4KmAzWD3bw659PEQ2jXdPsBoCO3EQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


Any chance you can find this product online again?


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