Insulating Queen Anne Windows With Interior Storms

Insulating Single-Pane Queen Anne Windows

When Matt Belsaas saw the $650 monthly utility bill for his family’s newly-purchased home, he couldn’t believe it. Not only did he feel cold drafts, he felt some buyer’s remorse. Insulating the single-pane Queen Anne windows became a priority.

exterior view of home with queen anne windows

But how to go about it? His 1891 home is located in Indianapolis’s historic Woodruff Place neighborhood and has its original, beautiful Queen Anne windows. Ripping those out and replacing them just wasn’t an option.

What are the Options?

So he began researching. Historic regulations in his area made it prohibitively expensive to replace his large Queen Anne windows with old-growth wood frames since he would have had to get replicas made at roughly $4,000-6,000 a piece. He tried thermal curtains, but they funneled cold drafts down to where his toddler played on the floor. He even tried insulating the single-pane windows by blow drying plastic film onto them, but it was too difficult since they were so tall.

With their interest in green building practices, Matt and his wife kept looking until they found Indow window inserts. Indow is AERC certified. AERC, the Attachments Energy Rating Council, is an unaffiliated organization that rates window attachment products on energy efficiency by measuring various factors such as Air Leakage (AL) and U-Factor. On Air Leakage, Indow scored in the top two out of 33 storm windows tested, and with a U-Factor of .3, Indow window inserts are a top performer on insulation among all available storm windows.

The couple installed nine inserts on three floors just in time for a local historic home tour. Matt talked up the window inserts and tour goers, who were staring right at them, had to ask where they were since they’re nearly invisible.

Testimonials

exterior view of queen anne home with indow window inserts

“I just wasn’t prepared for how much noise it would cut out. The inserts also helped keep the summer heat at bay, making the third floor bearable as a guest room even without air conditioning, they’re perfect.”

– Matt Balsaas, Indianapolis, IN.

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Together with additional floor and ceiling insulation, the inserts placed in the Queen Anne windows have lowered the couple’s heating bills dramatically. And they also enjoy living in a quieter home.