3 Quick and Easy Fixes for Drafty Windows

Keeping your home warm doesn't come at a high price, thanks to these easy-to-do fixes.


On average, 10 to 25 percent of a home's heat escapes through its windows. If you're feeling drafts, you should consider reglazing or even replacing your windows. But if you can't because of time--or budget--first weatherstrip, then try these other temporary fixes to help beat the chill.

1. Plastic Film

Applied to panes with double-sided tape and sealed using the heat from a hair dryer, this inexpensive clear shrink film can allow a room to retain as much as 55 percent of its heat. In a pinch, bubble wrap makes an effective replacement; just push the bubble side of the wrap against the glass and adhere with double-sided tape.

Shown: Duck Crystal Clear Shrink Film, about $13 for two 3-packs via MyBrands

2. Draft Snakes

Stop cold air from creeping through windowsills with a snake. You can buy one online, or easily make one yourself by filling a tube of fabric, like an old knee sock, with dry rice.

Shown: Window and door draft stopper, about $10 via Improvements

3. Rigid Foam

For basement and attic windows you don't need to see out of, cover the panes with a piece of foam board glued to ⅜-inch drywall. Cut pieces to fit snugly inside the frame, press the foam side against the glass, then simply pop out when you want to let in sunlight.

Shown: Dow ½-inch polyisocyanurate rigid foam sheathing, about $12.50 per 8-4-foot panel via Lowe's

• How to Draft-Proof Your Doors
• Window Treatments That Control Drafts
• Detect Drafts With an Energy Audit