How To Use Window Shrink Wrap To Stop Drafts

Lately, I've been leaning into crafty home decor and thrift flips.

Those tend to be my favorite kind of DIYs.

Vine covered clocks. Whimsical pin cushions.

The pretty projects.

However.

Whether you rent or own your home, there's no denying that there are always tons of those not so pretty projects that are just as - or dare I say it - even more important that the decorative ones.

So today's share won't be the most attractive DIY, but it may help you keep your house a little warmer this winter.

Our home was built in the 1920s and while we've renovated almost every inch of it, the one thing we haven't done, is replace the old vinyl windows.

This winter was brutally cold.

When we moved in there were so many other priorities. And when we were done renovating and replacing all the big stuff, we just didn't have the bandwidth to tackle the windows.

Most of the year, it's fine. Even most winters. But this winter was brutal and the chill came in right around the window frame.

No good.

Of course, new windows would solve that problem, but opening giant holes in the house when it's below zero outside is not something we were willing to do.

Go figure.

Instead, I relied on a method I've used before with great success.

I used this kit to cover the windows with plastic.

See The Kit I used HERE

Now before you get all, well that's just ugly and it probably doesn't work anyway, hold on.

That was my first reaction when my husband first suggested it, years ago. It was a hard sell, trust me. 

But since it was our best option at the time, I gave in.

Oh..and before you ask, yes, the tape peels away easily, removing the plastic, so you can open the windows, in the warmer weather.

How To Insulate Your Window With A Plastic Kit

I promise, when done right, you can't even tell the plastic is covering the glass. And guess what? It does work. Really well, actually. 

The Step By Step DIY

Besides being a bargain way to add a little extra insulation to your home, it's also a super simple DIY. In fact, I did it all by myself. In less than 15 minutes, I had two windows sealed up and looking great.

1. Measure

First, I picked up this kit, after measuring each of my windows so I knew how much plastic I would need. There are several options available, based on the size and shape of your windows.

I started by opening the package, removing the tape, the 4 sheets of shrink wrap plastic in the kit and reading through the instructions to refresh myself.

2. Apply The Tape

Next, I grabbed the roll of clear, double stick tape and found the opening edge.

Then I unrolled it and stuck it to the outer edge of the window frame, just outside the sashes. I basically covered any area or gap where the cold air could be coming into the house.

I applied the tape in four separate strips, one on each side of the window. I stuck it to the window before I cut it. 

You could measure and cut first, then apply the tape it you find that's easier.

3. Stick The Plastic To The Tape

Once the entire window was is covered, I opened up one of the sheets of plastic.

They are large, usually much larger than the windows, and they should be...because when you stick them to the tape, you want there to be an inch or more of excess that you will trim later.

It makes for a better seal.

With plastic in hand, I removed the backing paper from the strip of tape on the top of the window, exposing the sticky surface.


I placed the plastic on top of the tape, stretched it across the top of the window from one corner to another, pressing it again the tape as I went along.


I repeated the process all the way around the window frame, making sure the plastic was taut, until all four side were covered.

4. Shrink The Plastic With Heat (and get a good seal)

Ok, so this is where the magic comes in. Once the plastic is taped up, no matter how much you stretch it, there will still be wrinkles in it. 

You can see them in my photo.

To remove them, I used a hair dryer to heat the shrink wrap, which tightened it up. 


I held the hairdryer about 4-6 inches away from the plastic sheet, and kept moving it around until the shrink wrap was tight, clear and wrinkle free.

5. Trim

Then I cut off the excess and I was done.

And see. Crystal clear.

You'd never know, from the inside or the outside, that I had plastic covering the glass.


But it's way warmer in here, now.

A successful DIY and an easy and economical way to keep that cold air from coming in around my leaky windows.

So I can get back to all those pretty projects.

Fabulous.

😌

Are your window letting in cold air?