Difference Between Indoor & Outdoor Window Insulation Film

Product Defined

• Manufacturers produce window insulation film as a very thin plastic, clear sheet product. This product then lays flat onto the window surface and adheres via an application of heat, typically with a hair dryer. Some window film performs as a blocking element to the rays of the sun or cuts down on their penetration to a house. Other window film provides an insulation block against the transfer of temperature, particularly from the outside into the house.

Installation

• The first difference between exterior and interior film involves how film is applied to window glass. Interior film adheres to the interior window with a blow dryer or similar heating element without any special skill applied. The heat simply has to be applied evenly as the film is pressed into place. Once it shrink-wraps from the heat, the excess can be trimmed off with a razor or edge tool. Exterior film adheres without heat. Instead, the product uses a pressure-sensitive adhesion that clings to the window surface when it makes contact.

Sizes and Price

• Manufacturers produce window film in both interior and exterior products in a variety of sizes and cuts. As a result, homeowners and renters apply treatment to most window frames without much trouble. Products as large as a patio window and as small as decorative window may be bought at hardware and home improvement stores. However, product cost for interior film ranges from $10 to $30 per window treatment while exterior film costs more.

Film Performance Versus True Weatherizing

• Interior and exterior film provide bargain approaches to weatherizing. Good insulation and treatment processes focus on replacing old windows altogether with double-paned units to seal homes and apartments better. Additionally, sealant provides a far better blockage to cracks and gaps in window frames than window film every will, regardless of whether it is on the inside or the outside.