That door I wrote about on Monday? How could I share all that detail about installation, but forget to share a details about insulation? (If you missed the original post, check it out over here.) I’m so madly in love with the extra light and line of sight into my 3-season sunroom, but beauty comes with some pains.
The glass in this door is single-paned; it’s not like any of the modern doors with double, or even triple thick layers of glass to sound proof and insulate, so I had to take this into my own hands. I added weatherproofing around the inside edge of the door which helps to reinforce the seal of the door, and I also hung a curtain in the living room to protect against the inevitable draft that old-school-paned-glass-door owners can likely commiserate with.
To DIY on the cheap, the easiest solution for me at the time was to reuse an old curtain rod (one that I had removed from a bedroom when I moved in) and hang it close to the ceiling. I bought a pack of curtain clips (these particular ones were found as a 12-pack at Walmart for $2.50), and a few chunks of fabric from JoAnn’s (clearance section, whoop). I leave the sheer white curtain up all year round because it’s subtle enough to be unobtrusive, but functional enough to keep peepers from glancing in while they walk by. During the fall and wintertime, I layer two extra pieces of heavier woven fabric behind the white sheer to thicken up the curtain, and make it serve more as an insulator. The woven fabric nearly-but-not-exactly matches the fabric the couch is made of, so it fits in nicely.
Happy to report that the draft is oh-so minimal. The fabric isn’t even cool to the touch, and the fabric is wide enough to well-overlap the edges of the trim, and drape all the way to the floor to minimize any lost warmth. (Um, and the stacks of books in the bottom left related to this post from earlier in the week too.)
6 Comments
Looks like from the picture that the fabric is a bit long. Is that intentional for heat savings or style?
Both. I like a long curtain and know if I wanted to shorten it to be hanging smoothly I could fold more fabric over on the top and reclip to adjust the length. This time of year I like it long for the weatherproofing aspect; I think it’s slightly more attractive/subtle than one of the draft guards (http://www.asseenontvguys.com/twin-draft-guard.aspx)… although now that I’m thinking of it, it would be wise of me to double up and use one of those and then let the fabric hang around it…
Thanks for getting my brain working.
Such a smart idea! And I love how it looks, too :)
Thanks Cait!
I just wanted to stop by and say hi and thanks for reading our blog! You are doing some great things in your home and I am enjoying reading through all of your old posts. I love the idea of weatherproofing windows, our old house could definitely use this. Can’t wait to keep reading and see what you do next. Nice to “virtually” meet you!
~Mallory
Thanks for stopping by, Mallory! Nice to meet you as well.