Tyz-All Plastic Interior Storm Windows
Interior storm windows stop windows from leaking cold air into your home during the winter. They also can add a little insulation, creating a dead air space between the window glass and the interior plastic sheet, so that not as much cold air radiates from the surface of single-paned window glass into your home.
As opposed to the less expensive plastic sheets that you tape into place or use a hair dryer to install, Tyz-All interior storms allow you to remove the plastic sheet each spring, so you can open the window normally during the summer. You can reuse the plastic sheets in the fall, rather than throw them out into a landfill.
If you want a prettier, longer-lasting interior storm, Advanced Energy Panel (aep) interior storms (video showing them) are great, but more expensive.
Installation: First clean off the window frame of all dirt and loose paint, etc. The adhesive used won't stick well to wet surfaces, so any water-based cleaning should be done ahead of time. Then, using the Tyz-All window channels, build up an interior frame for the plastic sheet to sit inside the window frame. Each channel is 2' long. Peel off the paper covering the adhesive strip and press tightly into place to build up a continuous window frame. To decrease convective looping, it is best if the interior storm window is within 1/2" of the window glass. Mostly this is impossible, but do what you can. You can have the Tyz-All window be inside the existing window frame or on the flat face of the frame. Make sure there are no obstructions (no blinds, latches or handles, etc.) that are going to get in the way of the plastic sheet.
If you need a window channel piece shorter than 2', you can cut the window channel with a utility knife or scissors.
When you have the whole frame in place, unzip the ziplock piece in the center of all the channels that make up the frame.
Cut a sheet of plastic out that is 2" bigger than the window on all sides. Starting at the top, zip the sheet into place using the zipper pieces. Try to get the plastic sheet as flat as possible. This may take a bit of time if the window is big. When it’s looking good, use a utility knife to cut the extra bits of plastic sheet off so extra bits aren’t sticking out of the ziplock everywhere.
If you're planning on removing the sheet each summer so you can open the window, then don't cut too close to the edge or when you try to zip the sheet in next fall, you'll have a hard time getting it exactly right.
