Helpful to cover only some windows?

by Jenny
(Sammamish, WA, USA)

Will covering only some windows with afghans help cut heat loss?

I have four large windows in the living room and can't afford to get energy saving coverings for them right now, however I have some nice afghans that I can attach to the frames and do a medieval castle look on three of them - leaving one unshielded. Will that help my heat loss or am I just wasting my time?

Answer from Green Energy Efficient Homes

The main way your afghans could help save energy attached to your windows is if you can attach them so that they cover the entire window frame. This will create a more or less still airspace between the windowpane and the inside of your living room. That airspace will serve as an insulation layer between the outdoor and indoor spaces, and so will cut your heat losses.

It's unlikely your afghans will do anything to cut down on drafts. Windows - especially older ones - are one of the biggest sources of drafts in the home, so you might want to try putting some removable caulking around the window wherever you feel cold air leaking in, before you cover the windows up with the afghans.

If you're only able to cover part of each window with the afghans make sure you cover starting from the top. If you cut off the top opening you'll cut off convection airflows that will otherwise draw air from the room in at the top, where the air will strike the cold glass, cool down, and then fall out the bottom beneath the afghan.

The afghans will help - but you might want to consider plastic window insulation instead, as for only a few dollars per window you'll get much better heat savings, and you'll still have full sunlight during the day.

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