This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Duck Brand. All opinions are 100% mine.
As you all know, I love old houses, and we’ve lived in quite a few over the years. Our current home, Magnolia Cottage, is over a hundred years old, and of course is full of all the quirks and charm that accompany being a centenarian.
One of the quirks that I’m not too fond of is the energy inefficiency that often accompanies older homes. If they’re insulated at all, they’re usually under insulated, and leaks and drafty windows are the norm. I always know to budget more money for heating and cooling an older house!
I’ve been looking forward to trying out Duck Max Strength Roll-On Window Kit on some of my downstairs windows and was able to install the film this weekend. It’s designed to block drafts and air leaks, and should make our house more comfortable and our heating bills lower this winter.
I was home alone this weekend, but the process was fast and easy and definitely something you can do by yourself. Each kit has enough heavy duty insulating shrink film to cover three 3′ x 5′ windows (you can buy yours at Walmart).
You can always help your windows dry by blowing them with a hair dryer (you’ll need it again later on so keep it handy). Next, apply the included double-sided tape to the sides and bottom of your window molding. Press it into place but don’t remove the printed liner just yet.
Next, apply the pre-taped edge of the roll of film to the top of the window molding, leaving about 2″ extra on the sides. Or, you can do what I did: measure your window, add about 4″, and then cut the film while it’s still folded up–so fast and easy!
Remove the printed liner from the tape:
Now, unfold the film and lightly press into place on the tape. Use a light hand so you can reposition as needed to remove excess creases or wrinkles. and then press the film firmly to the tape. Cut the bottom of the film as needed so you leave about 2″ past the base of the window, too.
Then comes the fun part: use your hair dryer to shrink the film and any remaining wrinkles will magically disappear!
Once you’ve shrink-wrapped your window, use your scissors to trim any excess film.
If you prefer video, this one is super-helpful:
The film is crystal-clear; here’s a picture of the porch shot through the window I just covered. You can’t even tell it’s there.
The film is thick, which makes it much easier to work with when you’re applying it to your windows. That also means that it’s a great choice if you have pets or kids, because it’s also puncture-resistant. Here’s the window with the film in place; again, you can’t even tell it’s there!
I’ll keep you guys updated as our energy bills arrive this fall and winter; meanwhile I’ll be figuring out what I want to do with the money we save!
Thanks for stopping by~
That is so cool! We used to live in a house built in 1918–in michigan! We tried window film one year, but it was dreadful–so ugly. this really does just disappear. What a great product!
Thanks, Richella! We’ll have to wait and see what happens to our electric bill; it’s been so warm that the AC is still on. It’s probably the same way at your house since we’re just down the road from you.