[Greenbuilding] Movable Insulation

[JAY WALSH]

Worked on all kinds of movable insulation since way back in the 1980's in
Alaska. Most interior application had poor performance and allowed frost to
form on the windows.

One method we used tin Alsaka was seasonal insulation applied to windows from
the exterior. This would remain in place for the winter and the goal was to
cut down a percentage of window area for heat loss. We would choose several
windows around the house in strategic locations and stick in a 2 inch piece of
rigid foam board from the exterior. This eliminated the condensation issue as
the glass insulater from the cold exterior and remained closer to the room
interior temperature. We would sometimes place a nice summer or beach scene on
the foam board to offer some mental stability (from cabin fever) for when it
was 40 below zero for a week or two.

I've tried the bubble wrap applied to the inside of windows as well and like
the fact that you get a little insulation value whild still passing light.
There are some tips on Build It Solar under Bubble Wrap Window Insulation.
also

Even the Shakers used a kind of seasonal wall insulation to cut down on drafts
and the cold surfaces of their solid walls. You can see examples of this at
the following article at 
apartmenttherapy
Amazing Wall Curtains: Shaker Design for Drafts
I've loved Shaker peg rails for a long time, especially because they are so
multi-purpose. BUT I'd never known that the Shakers also used them during the
winter to help cut down on drafts. This is a really cool design feature —
hanging "wall-curtains" were hung from the peg rails in bedrooms during the
colder seasons.

Live Well - Stay Warm