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ispinwool · Jan 30, 2019

Quite awhile ago I'd mentioned that I was going to whip up "window quilts" to see if they'd make a difference in the temperature of our porch.
It's currently -4° outside with the wind chill and we're comfy sitting here at roughly 68°-70°.
I think I like how they turned out

begreen · Jan 30, 2019

Good move. Big glass areas lose a lot of heat, even if they are double-pane.

WinterinWI · Jan 30, 2019

The dogs certainly seem to approve.

SpaceBus · Jan 30, 2019

We have four sliding glass doors on the south side of the house that let out a ton of heat. We use insulated drapes and they work great, unbelievably so. I imagine quilts would be even better. What kind of batting are you using?

ispinwool · Jan 30, 2019

SpaceBus said:
We have four sliding glass doors on the south side of the house that let out a ton of heat. We use insulated drapes and they work great, unbelievably so. I imagine quilts would be even better. What kind of batting are you using?

It's the stuff folks use to make potholders...it's waffle-ly on one side and reflective on the other.
These are just prototypes. Now that I like how they work I'll have to come up with ways to improve them.

Woody Stover · Jan 30, 2019

Did you get tired before you were able to saw all the way through the table?

ispinwool · Jan 31, 2019

Woody Stover said:
Did you get tired before you were able to saw all the way through the table?

LOL
Hubby sawed through the pvc pipe I used to hold up the quilts. That poor old table has served as 'eating area' 'sewing area' 'workbench'...just about everything!

Dug8498 · Jan 31, 2019

ispinwool said:
It's the stuff folks use to make potholders...it's waffle-ly on one side and reflective on the other.
These are just prototypes. Now that I like how they work I'll have to come up with ways to improve them.

That's a great idea to make your own! I wish I was that crafty. We have them on all of the double pane windows in our house and they're incredible. But they're also incredibly expensive....

peakbagger · Jan 31, 2019

I use the commercial double cellular blinds on my windows with side seals. They make a big difference in very cold weather. I can set right in front of window and not get any cold drafts or chills from radiant heat heading out the windows. They are not cheap but take up a lot less space when up than a quilt. I don't think I ever would payback my blinds strictly on BTUs savings but a major improvement in comfort.

MagdalenaP · Jan 31, 2019

Great idea! Do you know what the material is called? Or may I ask where you purchased it from?

MissMac · Jan 31, 2019

ispinwool said:
It's the stuff folks use to make potholders...it's waffle-ly on one side and reflective on the other.
These are just prototypes. Now that I like how they work I'll have to come up with ways to improve them.

i'm curious to know more about the materials you use to make these - i think my house could really benefit from some. i keep the blinds down in some of the rooms for similar reasons, but making curtains especially for retaining the heat and blocking drafts would be something i'd invest time in!

ispinwool · Jan 31, 2019

It's "fess-up" time....when negative wind chills are expected, one must hurry to get things buttoned up. Lol
This is the window I didn't have time to do correctly.

It's the windward side of the porch so I wanted it covered.
I got the quilty stuff at JoAnn fabric. I had to order online since our local store doesn't carry it.

Be sure to sign up for coupons before you have to pay full price...it wasn't all that expensive when I got to use coupons.

My upgrade to the prototype might be magnets instead of hanging on a pole--not sure yet though.

MagdalenaP · Jan 31, 2019

Thank you so much for the info! I did a quick search: https://www.joann.com/aluminor-thermal-fabric-10-yard-bolt/zprd_14898621a.html

I own a small dog accessories company, so I already shop quite a bit at Joann's, and can whip these babies up in no time

SpaceBus · Jan 31, 2019

ispinwool said:
It's "fess-up" time....when negative wind chills are expected, one must hurry to get things buttoned up. Lol
This is the window I didn't have time to do correctly.
View attachment 239746

It's the windward side of the porch so I wanted it covered.
I got the quilty stuff at JoAnn fabric. I had to order online since our local store doesn't carry it.
View attachment 239747
Be sure to sign up for coupons before you have to pay full price...it wasn't all that expensive when I got to use coupons.

My upgrade to the prototype might be magnets instead of hanging on a pole--not sure yet though.

Magnets to keep them together in the middle would be nice. I wish our drapes had something like that.

ispinwool · Jan 31, 2019

SpaceBus said:
Magnets to keep them together in the middle would be nice. I wish our drapes had something like that.

I bet you could sew a little square of fabric on the backs of the curtain opening...about every 8-10 inches or so and tuck in strong magnets so that they "click together" when the curtains close.
My thought on magnetizing mine is kind of the same idea--but I'd paint the magnet white to match my window frames and then hot-glue them on. The magnets on the quilty fabric would be in a little pocket corresponding to the ones on the frame.
I'm still ruminating on it...

begreen · Jan 31, 2019

Would spots of velcro also work?

ispinwool · Jan 31, 2019

begreen said:
Would spots of velcro also work?

True. I bet it would work. My only objection to Velcro is that it tends to wear out after so long. I replace worn out Velcro fairly often on my hubby's fireman's gear....some places repeatedly. But if the wear and tear will be minimal, then sure it'd be fine.

SpaceBus · Jan 31, 2019

begreen said:
Would spots of velcro also work?

That's probably a cheaper solution, but velcro gets old after a while. Magnets would last forever and probably much more user friendly.

MissMac · Jan 31, 2019

this is one of the best threads i've read in a long time. thanks for the inspiration @ispinwool

ispinwool · Jan 31, 2019

MissMac said:
this is one of the best threads i've read in a long time. thanks for the inspiration @ispinwool

Aw! Gee! Thanks!

ispinwool · Apr 18, 2019

Well...thought I might do a wee update...
I took the window quilts down today as I'm extremely hopeful that the cold is over.
Since I was able to keep a fire going almost all the time, (if I hadn't had the window quilts I wouldn't have even bothered to light it on the colder days...the heat would seep right through the windows) our heating bill was reduced by almost half!
Now that I've got the heat retention issue figured out, I'll need to work on getting more heat distribution. The living room (farthest from the wood burner) is pretty chilly since the furnace doesn't run as much.
All in all I'm glad I made them. Too bad I didn't think of it sooner.

SpaceBus · Apr 18, 2019

I'm glad they worked so well!

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