Old house = inefficient. They kind of just go hand-in-hand. I could get into how old homes are actually super efficient compared to the sad boxes we build now, but that’s a rant for another day. As lovers of old homes and buildings, Adam and I go in knowing we are paying double to heat and cool our properties. Sad, but this character isn’t cheap. Some of our windows are original, some were replaced quite some time ago. ALL are insanely drafty single-panes that could use a lot of help. But we love the look and aren’t ready to invest (nor would be change the originals) in new windows.
This property didn’t have any storm windows hiding anywhere, so we knew we needed to find a solution, and quick. We are so thankful that this past winter was pretty mild, otherwise we would have taken out a loan to basically heat the outside (remember when your parents yelled at you about that and you thought they were being dramatic? Yeah, they weren’t.). Adam started extensively researching storms for the house. Most are not cute, that was my criteria, of course. But for Adam’s sake – 3 stories high juggling with an expensive piece of glass was not something he was interested in. Understandable. So “storm window alternative” was the google search.
He stumbled upon Indow Windows and we quickly contacted them. It was super easy to see the appeal. Acrylic (not super fragile glass), cut to size (old house windows and their crazy random sizes), easy to install/remove/re-install, easy to clean, INDOOR STORMS. Freaking genius, it kind of makes you mad you didn’t think of it, right?
My favorite selling point was that you couldn’t even tell they were installed in the photos on their site. Seriously, they so perfectly blend into your window frame – it’s almost like they add a little extra trim accent. And they are so pristine, even more so than glass, it’s unreal. Adam may or may not have hit his head on them a few times because they are so crystal clear. Adam’s favorite aspect was the whole not fumbling on a ladder situation. After a quick chat about options, we decided to go with the standard grade, which stops drafts and reduces noise by 50%! Being right on a state road we get a ton of street noise, so that noise reduction was huge to us!
We decided to install the Indows in 2 of our 3 guest rooms, the second floor foyer, the living room and the future parlor on the main floor… to start. The guest rooms for obvious reasons – it’s all about a cozy atmosphere and we wanted to be able to control the temperature and airflow. The two guest rooms we installed in have 3 windows each, two of them street side and have a lot of harsh sun coming in (great for the natural light, not so great in the dead of summer with the heat blaring in). And the noise reduction has been astounding, you barely hear cars flying by doing 50 mph (even though it’s 35, people!), it’s that amazing.
The front foyer (the first photo) gets basically no traffic at all. However, over the winter, that one little window was constantly frosted over and it was crazy hot in that tiny space. The window was so drafty, it was pulling all of the heat from the bedrooms and main floor and sending it right outside. No more! That one single Indow insert made a huge difference in the temperature on the main floor. So definitely think about the airflow in your house and where the path of destruction is coming from!
Silicone compression tubing makes it easy to create a perfect seal because it’s flexible. So as the old windows shift, so does the tubing! So smart! And that little silver ring on the right photo makes it easy to pop it right out for a bit of cleaning (or in our case, never ending painting of trim).
We quickly made the decision to keep the indoor storms in year round. If it’s keeping the heat in during winter, it must keep the air in during the summer, obviously. And I can say that they have done wonders this Summer! Plus, because they reduce UV, the plants LOVE their spots next to the windows and they aren’t getting those hot sunspots/burns you often see on delicate leaves. All around, a must for every home! We can’t wait to order more for the rest of the house.
I’ll let you pop over to their website to see the amazing and accurate stats on all of the advantages. Whether you THINK you need new windows are are just looking for savings/sound reduction, Indow is seriously your next phone call! We wouldn’t rave about it if we weren’t obsessed. Here’s a video about our install.
INDOOR STORM WINDOWS: Indow Window
