Unless you have a large hole in one of the walls of your home, your windows are the place where almost all of the infiltration takes place. Leaky windows can cost you a large number of dollars a year in energy costs, and even the most beneficial windows provide only about a third of the insulating value as a typical insulated 2x4 stud wall. Take a couple of hours and weatherize by installing skived film tapes on most of your windows this year.

The type of skived film tapes

Good preparation is the first step to achievements with most projects and it is true here too. The first thing that you want to do is to measure your windows so that you know what kind of skived film tapes to buy. If you have got typically sized windows, 3' wide by five' tall, you will like to buy packages with individually sized sheets. However, if you have a number of smaller windows or at least one large picture window you will want to buy packages with one large sheets. Large sheets can easily be cut to size to fit a variety of window sizes big and small so that you can minimize the waste.

Before you install the skived film tapes, you may would like to weatherize your windows by fixing the glazing putty and by adding weatherstripping, and even adding storm windows if you don't already have them.

Next, you will want to clean your windows inside and outside including the sill and the trim. This will permit as much sunshine to come in and create a clean surface for the skived film tapes to stick to.

If your window has a sill, install the skived film tapes to the there first. Wrapping the end of the sheet around a yardstick will assist to install the skived film tapes at the sill uniformly.Before protecting the film to the top and the sides of the window, add a strip of clear packing tape to the back side of the film and the sill. This will assist to keep the skived film tapes from pulling away from the sill.

If the window doesn't possess a sill and has "picture frame" trim, then secure the film to the middle of the top and bottom of the window first, then to the middle of the sides. Next, work your way toward the corners bit by bit, first on one side then another, pulling the movie tight since you go.Once the window film is safe, trim the excess skived film tapes from about the edges.

Eventually, use a blow dryer to smooth out the film. For windows that won't be covered up by shades or curtains for the winter, you will like to make as smooth as possible. Don't over do it with the blow dryer though, you can pull the tape right off of the trim if you aren't careful.