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Magnetic Seal vs Compression Seal
What difference is a particular window attachment going to make to the comfort of your home? How effective is a magnetic seal or compression seal when used on a storm window? We’ll answer these questions in this blog and why Indow decided against magnetic window insulation.
Why We Said No to Magnetic Seal
When Indow first designed our window inserts, we considered putting magnets inside our compression tube, but we found that a magnetic window insulation created a lot of design flaws.
“It’s not very attractive, it’s cumbersome to install, and that metal frame remains in your window frame after you remove the insert and that’s ugly. So there were three things we didn’t like about the magnetic system.”
-Sam Pardue, Indow Founder
First, for a magnetic seal to form, magnets have to grab hold of something. That something is permanently attached to your window frame—generally a metal bracket fixed to the entire window frame needing many holes drilled into it. So it’s cumbersome to install.
Second, magnetic window insulation is not attractive either with the window insert installed or removed. If you take the window insert off, you still have a big metal bracket surrounding your window.
Third, the acrylic used in most window inserts expands and contracts with the temperature. While the window insert and attached magnets move, the metal frame does not. So, whatever magnetic seal there was is broken and the whole panel can pop off.
Magnets attract in one direction, but compression tube creates spring force all the way around the window frame. It absorbs expansion and contraction in every direction and creates friction and resistance against air pressure.
So, we removed the magnet and created a window insert that relies on compression seal alone. The compression tube can do everything we need and the simplest solution is often the best solution.
Why Compression Seal is Better Than Magnetic Seal
The compression tube around our acrylic panels is the spring force that holds in insert in place. It absorbs all thermal expansion caused by temperature change. This ability to expand and contract creates a near airtight seal no matter the shape, size, or condition of your window. The compression tube is a seal against drafts and heat, and it keeps conditioned air inside.
A compression seal is stronger than a magnetic seal because it is better at dealing with out of square windows. If your home is older and has had time to settle, it most likely hasn’t settled perfectly straight – this causes out of square windows.
“The problem is that magnetic systems don’t always deal really easily with the fact that most window frames are really out of square. So sometimes you get a gap up in the corner, if it’s a really out of square window. With our system we’re going to make the insert the exact shape of the window opening, you’re going to get very tight seal all the way around—a nice even compression.”
– Sam Pardue, Indow Founder
Magnetic seals can get gaps because they were made for a perfectly square window frame. Compression seal adjusts for the out of square window so you continue to have a tight seal and even compression.
Our compression seal can accommodate expansion and contraction from heat and window frame inconsistencies without altering the window at all. Our compression seal is stronger than magnetic seal, fits any shape of window, and requires no hardware.
For more information read about our compression system.
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Indow has insulated more than 23,000 buildings - helping reduce carbon emissions by nearly 200,000 tons - and creating comfort across the US & Canada!
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1519 Reviews
I appreciate everything about the whole Indow window process.
Scheduling and holding a consultation online was easy and seamless. I consultant with KAYA, and he provided a thorough easy-going no pressure to move forward until I was ready consultation.
Incentives were clearly outlined if I decided to move forward and order to be able to make my inserts even more affordable if I acted in a timely manner with measuring and submitting my order as well as returning the measure kit.
The Indow inserts arrived within the expected timeframe and installing them was very easy. One of my favorite parts was watching how to install video, because they used humor, and it really held my attention and put me at ease, allowing me to take in all the little details I needed to insert my Indows correctly.
Within hours, I noticed a temperature shift in the room. It was cooler and more comfortable. The next day when I worked in my office with the Indows the landscaper was across the street with the leaf blower and there was considerable reduction in noise making it a low background buzz instead of a disturbance to the work I was doing. I’ve only had them installed for three weeks and I’ve been so happy with them. It was a great investment for that room in the house that I use for my office.