Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: window insulation material question

[Joe Nolan (jnolan]

HeidiNYS [at] aol.com wrote:

> will need to be able to cover windows with some insulating material...  
> wondering if you've used anything you'd either ecommend or warn us about!
We are in upstate NY and have triple-pane windows. We have used cellular 
shades (Hunter Douglas) and also custom roman shades that have 
Thinsulate inside. Both improved comfort. The latter worked better 
because they have wooden shutters that press (seal) the shade against 
the wall at both sides when down. The tricky bit with interior movable 
insulation is avoiding condensation and subsequent mold problems. I 
don't know any perfect solution. I have seen foam panels covered with 
fabric which fit snugly into window openings - these are probably the 
best for performance, but then you have the issue of where to store 
them, and more daily effort to install/remove. Exterior movable window 
insulation would seem to be the best choice (no condensation problem), 
but I'm not yet familiar with any products for this (I'd be glad to hear 
of some!).

> Also, is there anything that lets in light not heat???
Don't know of such a product, other than adding on storm windows. 
Kalwall makes translucent panels for atriums and such that incorporate 
an aerogel which is R20 insulation. Hopefully someday there will be R20 
residential windows for daylighting derived from this. Another thing to 
keep in mind for passive solar is window screens. If you want more heat 
gains in winter, remove the screens - they can cut gains by a 
substantial amount.



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