The Best Ways to Insulate Windows for Summer Heat

When hot and sunny weather rolls into town, insulation for windows is just as important as in the winter. If you’re like many homeowners in our area, you’re probably already prepping for the sweltering summer temperatures ahead by inspecting your HVAC system, adjusting your thermostat, and making sure your entry doors aren’t drafty.

Let us help you insulate your windows for the summer with some tips, tricks, and remodeling ideas. And if you’re looking for energy-efficient vinyl replacement windows or exterior door upgrades, reach out to us online at Window World of the Triad for more information!

[H2] How to insulate windows from heat When it comes to keeping your home cool, managing your AC is only half the battle. Uninsulated windows are big potential weak spots in your home’s thermal envelope if they aren’t sealed properly or have cracks, gaps, or holes. Below, we have some tips and ideas to shore up your windows from the summer heat and potentially save on energy costs this season.

How to insulate windows from heat

When it comes to keeping your home cool, managing your AC is only half the battle. Uninsulated windows are big potential weak spots in your home’s thermal envelope if they aren’t sealed properly or have cracks, gaps, or holes.

Below, we have some tips and ideas to shore up your windows from the summer heat and potentially save on energy costs this season.

1. Add weatherstripping

Sometimes, your windows can subtly change shape, warping when they are exposed to water or if they’re soaked in sunshine for months. In other cases, your home’s windows might not have been installed perfectly when you first bought the property. Whatever the situation might be, if you notice a slight draft by one or more windows, count on weatherstripping to seal them up.

Weatherstripping is easy to apply – buy some from a local home improvement store, cut it into the right lengths with scissors, then stick it into place! It’s a great DIY tool to insulate your windows for the summer (and it works great for drafty doors, too).

2. Hang shades or blinds to insulate windows for summer

This trick doesn’t exactly insulate your windows, but it does stop the extra heat from the summer sun from getting further into your home.

When you hang thick curtains, shades, or blinds, you stop sunlight from beaming directly into your house and warming up the air behind your windows. Your windows themselves might get hot, but so long as your curtains are thick enough, most of that heat won’t be able to sneak past them.

Roller shades, honeycomb shades, Roman shades, and wood blinds are all great options. Even basic plastic blinds can get the job done! Just remember to unfold them when the sun shines the most through a given window. For example, if you have an east-facing window, deploy your shades in the morning, then bring back the natural light from that window by folding them up in the afternoon.

3. Apply insulating window films

Many home improvement stores also sell insulating window films. These thin layers can be applied straight to your windows’ glass panes. You can usually find two different types of window films:

• Solar control films, which absorb some of the UV rays in sunlight, preventing those UV rays from getting inside and heating up your home.
• Convection control films, which trap a small pocket of air between your window glass and the film layer. This slows down the heating process around a given window.

Either type of insulated window treatment can work for the summer season, although solar control films have a bonus benefit – they could minimize fading for furniture that sits right in the path of bright sunlight. So, if you have a favorite sofa or armchair with fabric that you’re worried will get lighter in the summer from sun exposure, apply a solar control film to the window next to that furniture.

4. Install exterior window awnings

Want to boost curb appeal and give your windows a little extra shade at the same time? Outside window awnings can look charming and classy on your home, but they also physically block sunlight from shining straight through a window’s glass.

Envision a decorative awning above a great-looking window, like a vinyl double-hung window. Add a planter box or other decorations to the sill, and a window awning remodeling project could help you transform your home’s exterior! This might be a great way to jumpstart your home gardening project if you’ve been wanting to grow plants that don’t need direct sunlight all day long, too.

5. Try new shutters for your windows

Exterior shutters are another example of some of the best window treatments for summer insulation. By acting as physical barriers against sunshine, they stop solar rays from heating up your windows or the rooms behind them.

Shutters are available in lots of different architectural styles. Plantation or colonial-style raised panel shutters, for instance, might go well with your home if it already has an old-fashioned architectural look. Find shutters that blend seamlessly with your home's aesthetic, and this is one home upgrade you definitely won't regret.

Switch to energy-efficient windows for better insulation during the summer

By far the most effective way to insulate windows for the summer is to simply replace old windows with energy-efficient ones.

Energy-efficient windows have several panes of glass, which are finished with UV-resistant layers. Next, insulating gas, such as argon or krypton, fills the spaces between the windowpanes. The resulting windows are extremely energy efficient – even if it's hot outside, that summer heat won't be able to get inside.

The same is true for the winter since these windows stop heat loss through their glass surfaces, even if they’re large and have wide glass surfaces – take our vinyl picture windows as examples. Overall, vinyl windows are an effective energy efficiency upgrade and pay for themselves in utility savings.

The more windows you replace with energy-efficient upgrades, the better your home will be insulated against summer heat – and the more comfortable you’ll feel indoors, even if the temperature outside keeps rising. But whether you choose to replace one window, several, or all the windows in your Triad property, installing them yourself isn’t a good idea.

Explore windows with better insulation

If you want your home to manage the summer heat for years to come, call on your local professionals at Window World of the Triad. Not only do we offer the best energy-efficient windows in the Piedmont Triad, but we’re also fully qualified to install them in your home quickly, efficiently, and properly.

Trust us to replace your old windows with new ones and help you beat the summer heat. Call us today at 336-364-5014, visit us online, request a free quote, or stop by our showroom to check out our window offerings!