Bubble wrap insulation for windows

[Lemon Thrower]

i know a few of you do this already - place bubble wrap over your windows to add insulation.

am going to do this this year. I understand the thicker the bubbles, the better. Two questions.

1. my windows are 27'' wide, and with the sash etc 31-32 inches. do i cut to cover the glass or the entire opening?

2. found this supplier online. $45 shipped for a 48 inch wide roll, 65 feet long. Can anyone do better?

http://www.uboxes.com/moving-supplies/b ... rolls.html

Uline has 250' for $111, but i don't think i will need that much.
http://www.uline.com/BL_468/Industrial- ... cushioning

[Engineer]

I'd do the windows rather than the sash. Your curtains (or a second layer of shrink wrap along the interior wall) will add a second layer in addition to the bubbles.

[Lemon Thrower]

i guess sash is the wrong word - the glass is 27'' wide, and there is two inches of wood on either side right and left of the glass. do i cut 27" wide or 32"?

[Engineer]

You'll probably want to tape it on the middle of the wood to create a dead air space between the glass and the bubble wrap. Otherwise, you'll lose heat through conduction between the plastic and glass.

I'm not sure how much the bubble wrap will help you over plain plastic though. In my last house I just used the shrink film from Walmart and taped it around the inner window frames. It worked well enough that I didn't think the bubble wrap was necessary. As long as you can get it sealed up well enough that water doesn't condense on the windows, you'll be doing good.

[aloneibreak]

thread from last year with good link with pics

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1713&p=13681&hilit=bubble+wrap#p13681

[Verbane]

2. found this supplier online. $45 shipped for a 48 inch wide roll, 65 feet long. Can anyone do better?

http://www.uboxes.com/moving-supplies/b ... rolls.html

That link is for rolls of large 1/2 inch bubble wrap. the links reccomend using small 3/16 inch bubble wrap

this is 49.00 for 175 feet small bubble:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/175-ft-3-16-SMALL-BUBBLE-WRAP-48-wide-FREE-SHIPPING-/290792937307?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43b49c175b

[Mossy]

Half inch should work fine. 3/4inch is about as large as I'd go.

From building visqueen shelters. Two layers no more than the width of a dressed 1x (0.75" dressed) board would insulate. I'd get condensation inside if the layers were less than 1/4" apart.

If putting a sheet of plain plastic film over a window, inside or out, slap some small suction cups on the glass to keep the plastic off the glass.

[Lemon Thrower]

where are you guys seeing that it recommends small bubbles - i am missing that.

please explain the condensation concern. the link at build it solar doesn't mention this and he says just place it right on the glass pane touching. are you saying you need space between the plastic and the glass?

from what i gather, you cut to the exact size of the pane, not the pane plus the frame, is that right?

[Mossy]

please explain the condensation concern. the link at build it solar doesn't mention this and he says just place it right on the glass pane touching. are you saying you need space between the plastic and the glass?

from what i gather, you cut to the exact size of the pane, not the pane plus the frame, is that right?

My experience is with film, not bubbles. A small air gap would show condensation, indicating that heat was leaking out (or else the air inside would not cool enough for condensation to form). Thus, I am inclined to go with half inch bubbles, or slightly larger. My experience might not be directly translatable.

I'd say put the bubbles straight on the glass.

If you go with film (not bubbles), then you need the air gap.

[Engineer]

If you see condensation, you're not nearly as efficient as you could be. You lose just as much energy in condensation as it would take to boil the same amount of water into steam.

There are three things you need to look at:
Infrared losses - like feeling the heat from a campfire. You can't do much about this without window films or drapes which block infrared wavelengths.
Convection losses - if you have a fan in your oven, it cooks twice as fast. You can stop this with a dead air space.
Conduction losses - similar to jumping from 70 degree air into 70 degree water. Preventing solids and liquids from touching will help to prevent these losses.

[Lemon Thrower]

fwiw, i found a 65 foot roll on amazon for $42, 48 wide, half inch bubbles, free shipping.

[ZenOps]

I prefer just using solar blanket material (emergency blanket) that looks just like a mylar balloon. Local dollar store sells it for $1.25 and its about queen sized, folds up into the space of about two decks of cards.

Reflects light and heat. On a hot summer day, if you stand in front of it, it will literally cook.

[Mossy]

I prefer just using solar blanket material (emergency blanket) that looks just like a mylar balloon. Local dollar store sells it for $1.25 and its about queen sized, folds up into the space of about two decks of cards.

Reflects light and heat. On a hot summer day, if you stand in front of it, it will literally cook.

I used that on the windows of my barracks room while stationed in Iceland. Taped it to the wood around the glass pane. It dimmed the summer sun enough to let me sleep, and killed the cold air draft off the window in winter. It's good stuff.

It makes a one way mirror; the side with more light cannot see to the side with less light. Keep that in mind.