Bubble Wrap Window Insulation

[redneck]

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Congratulations on making your house more comfortable and reducing your heating bill in the same process.

Bubble wrap against the glass would have had the effect of making the single pane act as double pane. Adding another layer to that would be even better.

For an 7000 deg-day climate (northern US), and single glazed windows, the bubble wrap increases the R value from about R1 to about R2. This cuts the heat loss from the window in half.

Heat losses with and without bubble wrap for 1 sqft of window are:

Heat loss w/o wrap = (7000 deg-day)(1 ft^2) (24 hr/day) / (1 ft^2-F/BTU) = 168K BTU per season

Heat loss with wrap = (7000 deg-day)(1 ft^2) (24 hr/day) / (2 ft^2-F/BTU) = 88K BTU per season

Bubble wrap however, does not stop air infiltration. Your sealing the door with a sheet of plastic attached to the frame is a good solution if this is a problem.

Ideally, you should have both.

Comforters and heavy curtains are another great way of insulating.However, they should be used at night or on cloudy days, otherwise you miss out on the radiant heat the sun gives for free during the day. Also, there is no need to pay for lighting during the day if it is needed.

I used a comforter in the beginning but it was a pain in the butt to put up and take down. If I did it again, I would attach neodymium magnets to the comforter and a strip of metal to the frame. Maybe then it would be easier to put up and take down.

I have even thought about making a shade or curtain of sorts from one or more layers of bubble wrap or even better yet...

Double Reflective foil radiant barrier bubble wrap.

Try and say that three times fast...







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[ecomodded]

My sliding door was a a drafty one , the center wind seal that separates the two sides has shrunk and lets air in. I have been putting off replacing it while doing other reno's but it will be removed next year or the year after. I' will probably put in a single glass door as a compromise when I replace it.

bubble wrap inside of the 10 mil would of worked great I bet, I may test it.
I have not insulated my two small single panes yet so I can do the test / application.

[ecomodded]

I put up bubble wrap on 2 and a half windows , I left one side of the kitchen window uncovered for testing purposes.

41* F or 5c outside during the test / now.

Both the bubble wrap side and the non bubble wrap side read 55*F with my IR thermometer on a piece of black tape on the Bubble wrap side and the clear side.

So for me , at the denoted temperatures the bubble wrap is not doing its Job.
Could be when temperatures drop it may register a improvement.
I will test the temperatures more during the month.

I like the look of the bubble wrap on the window , it reminds me of a 1980's sci fi movie set.

[Daox]

AC Hacker did some testing a while back and he saw gains from it.

Testing Bubble Wrap for Insulating Windows | EcoRenovator.org

[ecomodded]

Perhaps it needs two layers to be effective / register an improvement as the link you provided suggests.

I think 10 mil poly is much better as one layer over the window frame shows substantial gains add a heavy curtain and your saving some large Btu's in the winter.
(depending on where you live)

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I am not giving up so fast

The bubbles have about a 50% larger surface area then the Glass caused by its bubbles surface area. Not a good thing *UNLESS* you were to reverse the bubble wrap so its smaller surface flat side faces in with its bubbles side facing out.

The bubbles facing in it will create a 2nd air space in between the bubbles.

I will reverse the bubbles for enhanced performance.
And will post my findings in a few days.


(also)

I think the bubble wrap needs to be applied over the window frame ( bubbles facing outside ) and not directly to the glass as I did , which is why it performed so poorly.

So more tests under proper conditions are warranted.

[redneck]

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Bubbles go against the glass. Smooth side toward room.





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[ecomodded]

My issue exactly

I am going to swap sides.

[MN Renovator]

I'm seeing a heavy amount of thermal bridging potential in both the plastic itself and anything it contacts to where I'm not seeing how a similar air gap created by a solid piece(shrink wrap type stuff for example) of plastic wouldn't be better than this. Not to mention more light(and heat) would likely get through and away from the window rather than absorbed by the plastic.
People might think you are slightly less weird too, unless you are going for that. It might be worth testing before getting too carried away with bubble wrap.

[MishaB]

Does anyone know if this will still work with windows in a shipping container home?

Like redneck said, do the bubbles still get placed against the glass?

[Drake]

I had two windows that were frosting on the northern wall of our redone 50's home even though they were quality double glazed windows. One in upstairs bath and one above kitchen sink. both get severe north wind exposure at times. The bath is a 24x36 DH that I made a frame of 1x2 to fit inside sill so it is 2 on the face. I stapled Lg bubble wrap facing in on each side(popped all bubble touching wood frame and tacked down with thin 1/8x1/2" wood strips) and put another layer of bubble wrap between(so three layers of bubble wrap. Put "V" weather strip on all edges so when put in place it also seal air infil. Stained all wood to match window trim. Been working and looking great for over 15 yrs. Lost a couple of bubbles over the years may have to replace wrap soon. Don't worry about no view as I fake frosted the glass already for privacy.

Kitchen window is about same size but casement so I made a second screen frame without screen and put shrink plastic on each side so it is double glazed. Just pull out screen in winter and put in the "storm" insert. than seal gap between it and sill with cheap transparent tape to stop air infix. Neither ever frosts anymore and lose much less heat and still have security view my wife wants onto driveway and service door.