Why are my home windows so cold?

[Mar]

I'm having issues with feeling cold while sitting on my couch in front of my living room window. The window is surrounded by a regular window box which creates a small ledge at the bottom of it and then the wall goes from there to the floor. The wall is cool, the ledge is cold and the window is really cold to the touch.
What's the solution for this and if it's replacing the windows, does that commonly pay for itself with heat retention in the future?

[Isaiah]

Don't get Marred, guys. You've been warned.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by Isaiah
Don't get Marred, guys. You've been warned.

Wise words.

I still can't resist.

Mar...what year is the house? Windows will make a huge difference, but you'll never "get your money back". But it will make a difference in energy use and house value. Windows aren't cheap.

My house is a 1973. I spent $12,000 on my windows, and I put them in myself, and that wasn't all the windows in the house.

I might save myself $20-30 a month in colder months, if that, in heating costs, but the difference in "feel" is huge.

[roll_over]

Curtins could help a bit.

[killramos]

Your first problem is not living in Florida. So try that and let us know if that fixes things at all

[ExtraSlow]

100% serious, see if you can find or borrow an infrared camera. Figure out if the cold is coming through the window itself, or if you have a big air leak somewhere around it. The fix isn't the same.

[ZenOps]

I spent $2 total on mine, been good for years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_blanket

$1 apiece at dollarama in the springtime needed two to fit a patio slider door, simply clip them to your existing curtains. I was thinking of upgrading to "gold" mylar, but its like $5 and I'm cheap, lol.

Otherwise if its an air leak

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.g...000160410.html

Bathroom silicone is probably not the proper one for doors/windows, but if your budget is a couple bucks, at least its mold resistant. Bathroom silicone sometimes goes on insane clearance when it starts nearing expiry.

Ghetto red green fixes, but hey - it works.

[firebane]

Take a look at this: http://www.saveheat.co/

[Mar]

Originally posted by C_Dave45

Wise words.

I still can't resist.

Mar...what year is the house? Windows will make a huge difference, but you'll never "get your money back". But it will make a difference in energy use and house value. Windows aren't cheap.

My house is a 1973. I spent $12,000 on my windows, and I put them in myself, and that wasn't all the windows in the house.

I might save myself $20-30 a month in colder months, if that, in heating costs, but the difference in "feel" is huge.

2002 and when I push in the middle of the window I can see it flex. I didn't have curtains for a long time after my roommate left and took them with her (no joke, the curtain rods too) but I did notice a difference when I put some curtains up eventually. It's still cold though.

Originally posted by killramos
Your first problem is not living in Florida. So try that and let us know if that fixes things at all

I laughed out loud.

[theken]

covering your windows with blinds or curtains will make a big difference, i just saw a thing on facebook about this, its like a 10 degree difference with them being covered.

[schurchill39]

Originally posted by ZenOps
I spent $2 total on mine, been good for years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_blanket

$1 apiece at dollarama in the springtime needed two to fit a patio slider door, simply clip them to your existing curtains. I was thinking of upgrading to "gold" mylar, but its like $5 and I'm cheap, lol.

Otherwise if its an air leak

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.g...000160410.html

Bathroom silicone is probably not the proper one for doors/windows, but if your budget is a couple bucks, at least its mold resistant. Bathroom silicone sometimes goes on insane clearance when it starts nearing expiry.

Ghetto red green fixes, but hey - it works.

[Darell_n]

Originally posted by theken
covering your windows with blinds or curtains will make a big difference, i just saw a thing on facebook about this, its like a 10 degree difference with them being covered.

If you even have a pinhole sized opening, the cold air will pour out from behind the curtains like a water fountain. This leaves you with 2 choices, put up heat shrink plastic or pop off the inside window trim and check for lack of insulation. Plastic is extremely effective and essential makes your windows triple pane.

[killramos]

One warning of covering your windows too well ( even with curtains is you can lead to condensation and icing problems on the windows. If it goes for to long without you noticing and cleaning it up you can do a ton of damage to the trim and pain around the windows.

[ZenOps]

Haha to people who spent a fortune on tinted home glass.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Bank_Plaza

I've always surmised that the windows (at least the main floor, top floor and for sure not the north facing windows) aren't made of gold - but are filled with Kapton.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapton

Illusion of wealth is a strong motivator, and what shines isn't always gold.

[bjstare]

How long have you lived in Calgary for, Mar?

Have you not noticed that basically every window, ever (except really high end triple pane) are cold AF, ALL WINTER?!

Jesus.

[rx7boi]

Jesus, I have the same problems with cold drafts from the windows in my master bedroom but I knew that when I clicked this link, it would be a fuckin' Mar thread

Try a window insulation kit, you numpty.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.w...000113245.html

[mr2mike]

If it's a 2x4 studded house maybe try putting in 2x6 or even 2x8 exterior walls?

[eglove]

Suprised no one said because it's cold outside

[vengie]

Originally posted by ZenOps
I spent $2 total on mine, been good for years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_blanket

$1 apiece at dollarama in the springtime needed two to fit a patio slider door, simply clip them to your existing curtains. I was thinking of upgrading to "gold" mylar, but its like $5 and I'm cheap, lol.

Otherwise if its an air leak

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.g...000160410.html

Bathroom silicone is probably not the proper one for doors/windows, but if your budget is a couple bucks, at least its mold resistant. Bathroom silicone sometimes goes on insane clearance when it starts nearing expiry.

Ghetto red green fixes, but hey - it works.

Note to self: Never purchase a home previously owned by Zenops...

Originally posted by rx7boi


Try a window insulation kit, you numpty.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.w...000113245.html

End of thread.

[mr2mike]

Watched Ultimate Cheapskate...

Put celophane across window and then fill with newspaper. If a bathroom window, newspaper can also then be used for toilet paper but need to replace the newspaper in the window with new stuff as the junk mail gets delivered.