"Secondary glazing" - does it work and where to buy?

3plus1 · 21 March 2008 at 8:47AM

My partner and I rent a flat together that has lovely old big windows through which all of our heat escapes. We have really big thick curtains up but they don't make a blind bit of difference. If we put the heating on in the living room, we can just about warm that room up okay, but the heating in the bedrooom just escapes out of the windows as the panel heater is unfortunately located directly below them.

I've been reading about "secondary glazing"; a type of plastic film you attack with a hairdryer that helps keep the heat in? The problem is, we've got single glazing and our flat is part of a listed building, so even if our landlord wanted to do something about the window panes he probably wouldn't be allowed to.

Has anyone had any experience with this glazing film? Does it work? Our bedroom is so cold at the moment, that even if the film only worked a little, it would make such a huge difference to us. Also, where's a good place to buy? We don't have a Focus or a Wickes near us, and I can't find anything on the B&Q website to indicate it might be worth a trip in store. (You need to drive to get to our local one - which I don't, so it takes some planning.)

Any advice appreciated.

03022242 · 22 March 2008 at 12:34AM

i thought secondary glazing was an additional glass pane fixed to the original,

such as these timber windows with an additional glass pane fixed to the inside

ukwoody · 22 March 2008 at 10:29AM

The film type secondary glazing is all but flipping useless. Yes it does help prevent a bit of draft which certainly helps, but it's thermal qualities are almost non existant. You may notice a slight improvment - at the cost of poor visability,noisy rattling and very tacky appearence from the outside. I tried it 20 years ago in my first flat and wished I'd never bothered.

Many years ago when I worked briefly in the DIY chain market we sold tons of the stuff - most custmers reported it as helpful but not really worth the effort and has to be thrown away after a few months.

It is a lot more expensive, but the glass method shown by the above poster is far superior and effective. It might be woth you talking nicely with your landlord and seeing if he is open to the idea of cost sharing somehow - sell it on the basis of improving his property for others when you move on, and getting you to stay now.

The fuel saving will be much better then with the plastic film.
Woody

3plus1 · 22 March 2008 at 7:29PM

ukwoody wrote: »

It is a lot more expensive, but the glass method shown by the above poster is far superior and effective. It might be woth you talking nicely with your landlord and seeing if he is open to the idea of cost sharing somehow - sell it on the basis of improving his property for others when you move on, and getting you to stay now.

The main problem we have isn't actually cost - it's the fact that we live in a listed building and I can't see drilling things into the windows or replacing the panes being allowable by the council? Or have I got this totally wrong? We're in Scotland, by the way.

transplanted · 6 October 2008 at 5:38PM

I used to live in western Massachusetts, where the winters were much colder than the UK's. Putting the plastic film over the windows was a regular habit and it was well worth it. Mind you, this was in a climate where we put the built-in storm windows down every winter as well.

The storm windows provided a decent seal on the outside. The plastic film provided one on the inside as well, which meant that the air trapped between the two could act as insulation. I'm going to try it here, to see if it bolsters the effect of the draught seals I put in last year.

We used the plastic again year after year. The only thing that needed to be bought new was the double-sided adhesive tape. Our costs worked out to be less than a $2/year, plus an hour or so to put them up.

It's affordable and easily done.

dander · 7 October 2008 at 2:15AM

I know people in listed buildings who have secondary glazed, so you'd be fine adding to the windows from that respect. Whether your landlord would be happy for you to do it is another matter entirely!

Although, my concern would be that if these rooms are so cold that really thick curtains aren't helping, I'm not convinced you'll see a great improvement from secondary glazing.

I wonder if your problem is more to do with inefficient heating not throwing out enough heat in the first place than all the heat disappearing through your windows.

I'm not sure what a panel heater is, but could you try some radiator foil behind it to help bounce the heat back into the room? And if it's below the window, with a radiator one would normally tuck the curtains behind the radiator to ensure the heat goes into the room rather than behind the curtains into the window area - is it safe to do this with your panel heater?

wallbash · 7 October 2008 at 8:00AM

a type of plastic film you attack with a hairdryer

Brilliant product

Its a draught sealer, watch the the film move!

but it's thermal qualities are almost non existant

True, but its the draughts you are stopping.

and has to be thrown away after a few months.

True .... but it will last a winter, renew next October

With the small cost , what have you got to lose.

Of course if it was my house ( not listed :rotfl:)
It would be proper glass secondary .

poodlebra · 1 November 2008 at 11:42AM

We've lived in a listed flat with single, draughty glazing for three years now, and each winter the double glazing film goes on the two six foot high sash windows in the living room. It's a bit faffy to get on, but the benefits are immediate. A £6.99 pack from Wickes does both windows, and the living room is transformed. No draughts. The heat from the radiators beneath the windows stays in the room. Just about to go buy some to buckle ourselves in for this winter. (Of course, if we weren't renting I'd opt for proper internal secondary stuff.)

sweet_decline · 3 November 2008 at 12:42AM

Hi 3plus1

I got some of this stuff from Wilkinsons yesterday - a big pack for 9.99, although the small pack at 5.99 probably would have been enough for our three 80cm x 180cm windows.

We are in a rented flat too - mostly double glazed, except for the living room, which has draughty single glazed sash windows. Landlord claims he can't replace them because we are in a conservation area.

Anyway, I managed to get the film on the windows by myself in a couple of hours (bear in mind I'm a complete DIY novice - it would have been quicker with another pair of hands too). You put the double sided tape on first, then stick on the film. It does look pretty awful at first - like cling film over the windows. Realised how terribly draughty the windows are too - the film was rustling like mad.

You leave it for at least an hour, then aim a hairdryer a few inches from the film. It doesn't take long to become taught, and then it doesn't look noticeable at all (just the bit I managed to put a hole in and then had to patch - oops). It has made a difference in the room already - I was beginning to dread how much it would cost to heat through the winter.

"Secondary glazing" - does it work and where to buy?

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