This video demonstrates how to create a DIY wooden storm window that fits any historic double-hung window. All storm windows can make your home more energy-efficient, but you can choose between different materials and coatings, and whether to install them on the exterior or interior of the home. Magnetic storm windows are a cost-effective alternative to complete window replacement for an energy-efficient home. They simply mount to the inside of existing windows and are held in place with a hinge.
To build your own low-cost storm windows, you can use basic tools and basic tools. Aluminum storm windows are weather-resistant, making them virtually maintenance-free. They do not require painting and do not warp or rot. In cold weather, one-third of the heat lost in your home seeps out through gaps in doors and windows. Plexiglass is a long-lasting and low-cost material for storm windows, as it is clear as glass, easy to work with, and weather resistant.
To measure and install storm windows, measure the window openings, buy supplies, cut the wood, build the frame, stain or paint the frame, attach the window film, shrink the film, and complete the project in 20-30 minutes per window. The overall cost is $60-$200 per window.
A step-by-step guide on how to build your own storm windows includes measuring the height and width of the window on the outside, adding 2 inches to the dimensions, cutting the stiles, rails, assembling the storm window frame, and cutting the rabbets. Plexiglass is a long-lasting and low-cost material for storm windows, making it easy to work with and weather-resistant.
📹 How-To: Build a Storm Window
In this short video we will show you how easy it is to build a storm or temporary window in just a few easy steps. You can find our …
Do storm windows really work?
Low-e storm windows offer energy savings of 10-30% on heating and cooling costs, depending on the type of window installed in the home. They are visually appealing, operable, and can reduce drafts, noise, and reflect radiant heat better than clear glass storm windows. They also act as an air sealing measure, reducing overall home air leakage by 10-30%. For more information on benefits, performance, cost, installation guidance, and energy ratings, visit these resources.
Can storm windows be installed outside?
When choosing a storm window, it’s crucial to choose the right type for your home. All storm windows can enhance energy efficiency, but you can choose between different materials and coatings and whether to install them on the exterior or interior of the home. Exterior storm windows are the most common type installed by homeowners, while outward-swinging windows require interior storm windows. To minimize condensation risk, caulk the tops and sides of the original window, follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions, and use a product with weep holes at the bottom of the frame.
Before installing the storm window, ensure the window and adjacent surfaces are dry and fix any missing glass, rotting wood, broken parts, or water leaks. Measure the width between the inside edges of the window casing and the height from the top of the window casing to the sill at its highest point. If horizontal measurements differ, use the smallest of the three when ordering a new storm window.
What kind of glass is used for storm windows?
Storm windows are versatile windows made from various types of glass, including 3/16″ standard glass, tempered glass, tinted glass, laminated glass, Low-E glass, and plexiglass. Cost is a significant factor when selecting glass. Storm window frames can be made of vinyl, wood, or aluminum, with aluminum being the most popular. Vinyl windows are less popular, and wood windows are mostly extinct. The choice of storm window significantly improves energy efficiency by reducing air flow through windowpanes and air pockets, thereby improving climate control and ensuring more stable indoor temperatures during heating and cooling seasons.
Can I make my own storm windows?
Plexiglass is a durable and affordable material for creating storm windows, offering clear, easy-to-work with, and weather-resistant properties. To build your own storm windows, measure the window’s height and width, add 2 inches to the dimensions, and cut a piece of plexiglass to fit these dimensions. You can buy a sheet of plexiglass or cut it at home using a table saw, wearing safety glasses.
After cutting plexiglass, use a dado blade to cut a wide groove for the edges of the plexiglass. Position 1-1/2 by 2 lumber on its edge and slowly feed the lumber into the blade to cut grooves. Cut 45-degree angles on the ends of each frame piece, replacing the dado blade with a cross-cut blade and setting the table saw to 45 degrees.
Assemble frames by placing silicone caulk in the groove of one piece of lumber, sliding one edge of the plexiglass into the groove, applying wood glue to the mitered end of the wood, and applying caulk to the groove on the next piece of wood. Repeat this process with the third and fourth pieces of the wood frame, caulking the groove and gluing the corners tightly together.
Wrap the new storm window with a nylon strap clamp, tighten the clamp so that glue oozes out at the corners, wipe away excess glue, allow the frame to dry, secure each corner with two pin nails, and paint the frame with exterior paint.
How thick should glass be for storm windows?
Standard storm sash thickness is 1-1/8″, with special thicknesses available. The daylight opening refers to the area of glass visible in a glazed sash, with a standard sash having a glass size of 5/16″ wider and 5/16″ higher than the daylight opening. The storm sash opening is measured between the exterior side casings, and the sash opening height is measured from the underside of the head casing to the sill at the outside of the casing. Correct height measurement is crucial for obtaining a properly sized sash.
The actual with and height of the sash should be built to the sash opening size, ensuring a good fit. Standard sized 2-light storm sash have standard glass sizes of even-inch width x even inch height, with overall storm sash dimensions being 4″ wider than the glass width and 6-1/2″ to 8″ higher than 2x the glass height. Minor adjustments can be made for windows slightly wider or narrower than standard, but a detailed explanation showing glass sizes is needed.
How do you make storm proof windows?
To hurricane-proof your windows, consider adding hurricane window film, shielding windows with plywood, adding storm shutters, installing high-impact glass windows, and asking about home insurance discounts. These measures can help protect your home from the potential dangers of hurricane winds coming in through broken windows, which can cause dangerous pressures inside your home that can collapse your walls and roof. Additionally, consider asking about home insurance discounts to save on your insurance costs.
What is the liquid inside a storm glass?
The storm glass, a device promoted by Admiral Robert FitzRoy, is a mixture of distilled water, ethanol, potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride, and camphor. It predicts weather by indicating clear, cloudy, humid, foggy, thunderstorms, snow, large flakes, crystals at the bottom, and windy threads near the top. The glass’s clarity indicates bright and clear weather, cloudiness indicates cloudy weather, small dots indicate humid or foggy weather, cloudy with small stars indicates thunderstorms, small stars on sunny winter days indicate snow, large flakes indicate overcast or snowy weather, crystals at the bottom indicate frost, and threads near the top indicate windy weather. However, the device failed to verify its accuracy.
Can I use plexiglass for storm windows?
Window Savers are DIY interior storm windows made of Plexiglas, offering a high-quality, low-cost solution compared to custom-built windows. These windows are easy to install and require no special skills or tools, using an extra-strong, durable peel-and-stick adhesive. They are not sold in stores and come with an unconditional money-back guarantee. The installation process is simple, requiring no special tools or skills.
Window Savers can save 30 to 50 percent on heating and air conditioning bills, making homes or offices quieter, eliminating drafts, condensation, and radiant cold, and slowing the loss of both heated and cooled air.
Are storm windows better on the inside or outside?
Exterior storm windows are more efficient than interior storm windows in maintaining a comfortable temperature in a home. They have a low-e coating that reflects heat back into the home during winter and outside during summer, reducing emissivity and reducing air leakage by 10 percent. Interior storm windows, on the other hand, are more energy-efficient than single pane windows due to additional insulation and greater convenience. They require less maintenance, are easier to install and remove, and are popular for apartments or houses with multiple floors.
Interior storm windows also effectively reduce air infiltration or draftiness by sealing tightly to the primary window. When choosing custom windows, it is essential to choose storm windows over single windows. Contact a roof service for high-quality windows installation to start saving energy.
Can you make your own storm glass?
In order to add the mixture in a gradual manner, it is necessary to insert a funnel into the bottle.
Do people use storm windows anymore?
Storm windows, despite their declining popularity, are still a valuable investment for homeowners in extreme weather-prone climates. They can significantly reduce energy costs, particularly those with Low-E glass and an ENERGY STAR certification. These windows are particularly effective for older, single-pane windows and are often installed over standard window replacements, as they preserve the original frames of historic homes. To find a suitable window installation company, simply enter your information into a form.
📹 DIY Storm Windows
In this video I’ll show you how to make a DIY wooden storm window that is a perfect fit for any historic double hung window.
This is great, one question though. On a traditional aluminum storm window, you can open it, and it has a screen. With this you wouldn’t be able to open it to let the air inside. Can it be made to where you can open the window, like a traditional storm window? I love this, and want to make a couple. Thanks for a quality article!
Thank you for such clear and easy to understand steps. I am looking forward to giving this a try. I got estimates to have two 100-year old storm windows rebuilt for my house – just about fainted. I would rather put that money to expanding my tool collection and building the two windows myself. It’s a win for my house and win for my tool collection and a win for me as I’ll add to my skill set. Thank you for so generously sharing your “been there, done that” lessons.
I can’t thank you enough for this tutorial. A long time ago I took a class in how to make mortise and tenon storm windows because my 1903 house has 33 windows. I decided to have the six storm windows on the front elevation made professionally, as three are massive: 3’ x 6’. So now I need to do the rest of the house, and I will use your technique. One tip on the glass cutting for newbies. You can slide a dowel under the score line to pop it without having to hang onto a big piece sticking out over the end of your workbench. This is an old picture framing technique. Another one is to put a drop of 3-in-1 oil on the blade (wheel) of your glass cutter to make it last longer. Thanks again!
Wow you deserve more views. Great tutorial it seems very easy. I have a few questions if you don’t mind… I’m looking to make these to sit inside. I have an old bay window which is essentially single pane glass in a grid fashion between 2x4s… É bay window is in a 3 row and 4 column squares making the bay window. Each square is about 20×20 inches. Would it be possible to make the rabbit on the other side as well and essentially make a 2 pane storm window? Is there enough material of wood for this? This would enable once installed on my window, to be triple pane, with 2 air pockets in total making it more efficient. Also what type of glass are you using? Also would the glazing putty be needed since these would sit inside? These would be meant to stay permanently since our windows don’t open we’d intend to keep them on always… In this case maybe building a frame in the cavity as a spacer around the edge and tack it with some finishing nails and just add glass panes on top would be easier? Thanks
Hi Scott, really a great article on how to do storm windows…..I have 5 – 33″ x 52″ windows I want to do for my bedrooms and I was wondering where can I find the glaze stays setter you use to set the glass? When I ask my building center where I can get one they say they don’t what I’m talking about….any help would very much appreciated. Thanks
Most of the things you did are things I’ve done many times. Except the glass cutting. It looked like magic! I’ve never cut glass. If I needed it, I took the item to the hardware store. But now making windows, perhaps I’ll try. I’ll probably use an edge guide. You made it look so easy. Also the putty. Amazing. Thank you. I am going to do this.
I have an old house that I want to make storms and screens. I have 56 windows. A couple of questions. Do you sell that caulk/glazing gun? If cypress is not available in my area what about using pine? I was thinking of using a lot of old yellow pine I have in my garage. Why did you not screw and glue joints?
I do not have the tools-that’s a lot of different kinds. I don’t see pocket holes on mine, so I’m guessing they were filled in with putty. I’m kicking myself for not just fixing my stormers myself. Had a fellow use silicone when I gave him putty and told him to use that, sanded down the interior decorative millwork, when all that needed sanding was an area with very slight rot/missing paint, and caulked over that, then painted over it with the dark green oil paint that was for the outside, not the inside. The other frame he banged up. I could have just worked glaze into the place it was missing, let dry and turn them around, put them up backward and sanded and painted the inside white, then flip them the right way and paint them the green.😔💔☹
Nice article. I just made some storms but I had to bevel the bottoms to match the sill angle. Also, what if your sash needs to be more than 1″ deep? The old sash that I replaced was 1-1/8″ deep. What material would you suggest for that issue. I used the clearest 2×4’s I could find and planed them down with my planer.
At the end it states “extends the life of the prime window”….can you elaborate on how that is accomplished? Maybe it prevents the constant air flow–in/out–and the changing temperature that comes with it? Or reduces the imbalance in temperature on both sides of the prime window…which perhaps causes destructive condensation, etc. Is this how the life is extended, by reducing these effects?
Hi, I’m wondering if you ever use boiled linseed oil to preserve and protect the wood from the rain? We had an Italianate that we had to reglaze all of the original windows from the 1880s, they originally had been treated with boiled linseed oil and after they dried they were primed and painted, the boiled linseed oil really protects and preserves the wood. Just curious.
Great article! Rookie question: why not apply wood putty in the pocket holes instead of plugs? (Some putties cure hard, are waterproof, can be sanded, and don’t shrink). Three more quick questions: 1. What about weep holes in the bottom rail? 2. What about matching the angled sill on the bottom rail? 3. What do you apply to seal around the top rail and stiles during installation? Caulk? Felt? Foam or rubber tape? Thanks!
wow thanks a lot!! i have been trying to figure out how to block noise from a bar and I have a 100-year-old house and been trying to figure out what would be a good way to do it and seems ill give this a try. I already made the frames the same way you did but can just take out the mesh screen and put glass in instead. Also what type of glass do you recommend?
Great article. My old home has amazing windows and I have the original screen windows but only 1 storm window. The meeting rails on the existing aluminum storm windows are in the middle and don’t line up at all with the original craftsman windows, which have the meeting rail at about 2/3 of the total window height. I had no idea where I’d find storm windows to match. Now I’ll just plan to make them myself! Thanks.
In the first eight seconds, you said you were going to show how to make this “without excessive woodworking tools” and then the tools you used in the intro and the article are themselves, by most people’s standards- Excessive! $100 pocket hole jig, $110 Laminate router, $120 glazing point driver, $400 Compound Mitre Saw, $400-1,200 Table Saw, $30 flush-cut saw, $80 Palm sander, $56 Sausage gun, $ pumice. I didn’t list the “standard shop tools you used, but over $1,500-2,500 in tools might be much for some (or 98% of the world) a bit excessive; maybe change the intro to: “How to make storm windows if you have a full power tool shop”, just saying. The information in the article is good, easy to follow, and concise, good job. You just lost me with the “without excessive woodworking tools” part.