Cool windows in summer, warm windows in winter
This question popped up in my mailbox this week:
Dear Mr Mobbs,
I heard your interview on ABC702 this week and you mentioned a glazing film which can be applied to glass to make it more insulated.
Can you please tell me what product it is?
So far, I have found a film made by Enerlogic and distributed in Australia by MEP films which claims to reduced heat loss through the glass by 90%. Unfortunately, this film has a slight golden tint to it which I would rather not have.
Regards
C
Here’s a solution that’s affordable, quick and easy. It won’t warm your place as much in winter or cool it as well in summer, nor will it cut down noise as much as several other more expensive solutions; double glazing, high performance thick glass and such. But it works on fiddley windows with lots of timber partitions, plain sheet glass ones and is something anyone may do themselves:
- It’s a kit made by 3M - http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/WindowInsulatorKits/Products/
- Victorian glass suppliers are cheaper than most states because that state’s rules require high quality glazing and the resulting increase in demand has brought double glazing and high quality window prices down: George Fethers and Moen Glass are two reasonably priced suppliers.
- The Australian Window Association also has contacts.
There is a full discussion of these issues in my book, Sustainable House:
http://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/isbn/9781920705527.htm
Hope this helps you, C.
M
Michael, an update:
I ordered the 3M kit from Amazon in the US, and have installed it on several windows.
My observations and notes:
http://lewishamhouse.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/insulating-our-windows/
Uh oh; my info was out of date then; sorry; I’ll dig around and see what I can come up with; Queensland builders often find cheap solutions so I’ll contact some there and come back to this topic; give me a little while. Thanks for sharing this James, much appreciated; do call the installer whose name and number I gave you as he may have found a substitute because it was his livelihood . . .
An update. I emailed 3M, and got back this terse response:
—
Hi James,
Unfortunately this product is not available in Australia.
Kind Regards
Product Information Team
—
Very disappointing! Might try to get Amazon to ship it to me…
James; a friend who put it in gave me this contact: Jeffrey Payne 0412 649 355; good luck, Michael
Hi Michael, thanks for the link to the 3M product. I’d seen this on TV, but lost track of the details.
The only problem: the 3M site you link to is the US one (which doesn’t ship to Australia). And 3M’s Australian website doesn’t list the product at all. Very frustrating!
Any ideas on where to source this product in Australia?