I will tell you something, windows lose more energy and you wind up paying a lot more for the heating bill because of the loss of heat due to poorly insulated windows. It is a good thing we live in a gentle climate. There are plenty of attractive liners you can put on the sills.
I don't know what to say much more than that, because after my house burned down, the company that my insurance sent to install windows was the cheapest garbage I have ever had to deal with.
This probably sounds horrible, but energy costs aren't my concern. My solar panels generate all I need and then sell back to the extra to the electric company when there's a surplus. But, I still have to pay a fee for being on the grid every month... that's all i've paid to SRP since I signed up with Solar City. New windows are out of the question financially for a few years. I have a larger home with two sliding doors and two floor-to-ceiling windows that span the length of my living room and dining room. When I upgrade, it will be thousands. So, I'm mostly looking for a way to increase comfort in the bedrooms because it gets super chilly by the windows.
It doesn't sound horrible at all. It sounds like an obstacle that needs an solution, i.e., those bedroom windows. My suggestion? Space heater. Or Electric blanket. That should work while sleeping at least.
I used to sell window film when I was in South Florida but it was very expensive. I'll bet this may work a little, but I doubt if it does the same job as the stuff I sold that required a professional installer. It was for hurricane protection and sun and cold. So, this may be a cheaper facsimile. Maybe it DOES work. That would be really amazing.
My 2, yeah but if your stuff works, I would go with that price over hundreds which is what the stuff I sold cost. So, I am happy to know the product works and it's cheap.
Use weather stripping around the windows and reglaze the panes. Using cellular shades makes a big difference too. I have them on my 10 foot sliders and my goodness, what a difference. They aren't cheap but AmericanBlinds.com has good specials sometimes. Don't confuse these with pleated shades.....completely different thing.
I assume you, like me, are trying to keep the heat outside. I don't use them, but my sister put these heavy dark-out curtains in her bedrooms. They make it black dark and really do keep the rooms cooler. Like I said, not for me. They sell them everywhere I think.
When I lived in an apartment for a few years I wanted my landlord to put a vertical blind behind the curtain in my LR window.....it about about eight feet. I threatened to put that shiny silver stuff in the windows if he didn't and I got my blind. I found that they really really helped keeping the heat out.
That's all I know about that, except that replacing windows is a big deal. You end up with damage on the inside and outside of the house, so just know you'll be repair sheetrock, siding, etc. etc. My house need new windows too but I just repaired them because we have to replace with extremely expensive hurricane windows. Not gonna. Makes me hope they get blown out and insurance can replace them. ;)
lol Anything that looks trashy. My neighbors are already miffed at me for not taking care of my lawn. I don't need to give them another excuse to be mad at me. So, I'd say plywood is out. A friend of mine suggested I nail a blanket to the window... that got vetoed.