3M Indoor Window Insulation, Insulator Kit for 5 Windows 3ft x 5ft, Keeps Cold Air Out and Warm Air In, Includes Heat Shrink Window Film and Scotch Window Film Mounting Tape (2141W-6)

I bought this kit 2 winters ago. We have a ranch house on the side of a mountain and it gets very cold. Combine that with really crummy old windows and our house was freezing. Not good when you pay for home heating oil!!! It was so bad at one point that when it was windy outside, I actually witnessed the drapes in my house billowing into the room. That is when I decided to purchase this kit. I actually got 2 kits to make sure I could finish all the windows in my house, and I ended up having plenty left over. I installed the double sided tape and stuck on the plastic, used the blowdryer to warm it up and shrink wrap the windows, and I was done. No more draft or chilly rooms! You are supposed to take it off after each winter but I have left it on for 2 years now. I find it also keeps my house cooler in the summer. Combined with thermal drapes, you have a combination for energy savings. PROS: - sticks great and lasts for a long time -once you get the hang of it, its easy to install -really has saved us money on home heating oil CONS: - if you don't totally shrink the plastic, you can see the ripples from the outside of the house and it looks a little messy, but if you do it right it is crystal clear -it is awfully hard to get the double stick tape off if you leave the product up for a long time We are now going into our third winter with the same kit on our windows and we are only now noticing some of the windows are losing their plastic in some places, peeling etc. But thats to be expected when its only supposed to be left on for a shorter period of time.

This could have gone one of two ways. Either it was going to be a huge pain in my butt to do and I'd end up just tossing the whole mess out in a big plastic ball of sweaty frustration, or it would just work. Well, I'm here to tell you that this stuff works! I have two gigantic 3'x7' "picture windows" that have zero window coverings. They face my lake view. I was using a blanket to cover them which, while it worked, made the house dark, and really, who wants to spend 6 months out of the year not lookin' at the view I bought this house for?!?!... So, this was my cheap first attempt at getting rid of the blankets and not spending any money (yet) on window treatments. There was PLENTY of plastic and PLENTY of tape for my use. In fact I only used one roll of tape. I thought it would be messy, clingy, wrapping up on itself, sticking to what it wasn't supposed to, and in the end, hard to see out of. It was/is NONE of those things. I am pretty handy for a gal, so this was within my abilities, but really, as long as you have full range of motion (can hold your hands up to apply the tape and the plastic), then you are "skilled" enough to apply this. I can see through it. It was easy to make minor adjustments on the outside edges once applied. I used the hair dryer, and it did "melt" away the small tiny ripples (they were barely noticeable to begin with). The only "tip" I have is before putting the tape on the window (sticky on the window side, paper on the side facing you), unpeel part of the paper and bend it in towards the tape to make a little folded tab so that when you are ready to pull the paper off you can just grab the little "tab" and rip it off. My first window I did not do this and I think I spent more time trying to get that danged paper off the back than I did on any other aspect of the project. And it was by far the only frustrating part of the entire project. I have attached some photos to show you how well you can see through it, and how well it works on a relatively large window. I live in a 1970 mobile, so every little seal counts. To be honest, I don't even see me pulling it off in the summer. I have a heat pump, and this will help keep the cool air in on those hot days. Since I can see out of it, and you really don't know it's there unless someone points it out, why take it down and do it again 6 months later? If you are on the fence, jump off and just do it.

I know how reviews go- I know that usually you have that one person who got a dud or was temperamental or had bad intentions and I take one bad review in a slue of many with the gain of salt. I also seldom write reviews and I know that people are more motivated to write a review based on a negative experience than a positive one! I usually write about good experiences. This was not such an experience. I do agree with the other reviewers that it was a pain to do with their directions and the cutting was problematic, etc. I remember buying the packages for my storm doors, not realizing that it would cover both until I had already bought 2. Perhaps that was my error. The rest, I'm sorry to say, must have been the company's. I covered a large storm/patio double door, one quite large window that took up much of the wall (with some creativity on my part) and 3 other, over-sized windows (I say over-sized because they are a little wider than some and definitely longer. "luxury windows" except for the fact that they leak air like you wouldn't believe!). I spent some money here, folks. What is that? A storm door, lets say 2 or 3 sheets for the wall sized window (maybe a triple window size) plus 3 more? It didn't break the bank but hey- I wasn't buying new windows. It shouldn't have come close to breaking any bank. I have convinced myself that this helped in some way but honestly I'm not sure. I really hardly ever say I will never buy this product again but I will not. I feel like this was such crap. I had faith in 3M but they obviously spent all their money in the packaging of the product. It did not take long for me to notice that I had lines or wrinkles in the paper. This usually meant that a spot had come unstuck or needed to be heated more. I found this material very temperamental to the blowdryer. I remember my family using these in the 90's. I watched them use it and I've used it since then. You would think that products would have improved over time(non-appliances specifically). If I tried to get wrinkles out of stubborn spots, it risked being ruined. So some of the film had creases which I feel that yes, my neighbors might have noticed from the outside on a sunny day. Not my preference as the window film became more obvious to onlookers as time went by! Most of the time when the wrinkles or creases would show up, it was because the product came unstuck. I read every bit of the information. I also installed enough of them and not in the same day (because who the heck has that kind of time?) so you would think that at least the last few that I did would turn out flawless. It was such a hassle to babysit these windows and when it was obvious that they weren't sticking I just sort of threw in the towel because I was so annoyed with all the time I wasted trying to monitor something so simple and stupid. A person should be able to put something up in their home and then trust that it does what it's supposed to do. I don't remember when I gave up on each window but I know that it didn't take long before corners or sections of sides were having to be redone over and over again, so obviously they were losing their adhesiveness. I tried to mend by pulling off those sides and re-taping but again, it only lasted a matter of time. I swear, this was such an annoying experience. As if putting this on your window isn't bad enough. I feel like this company really takes advantage of people who cannot afford or are unwilling to replace whole windows and insulation. They prey on people who actually need a quick fix. We were still dreadfully cold in our basement area with so many windows leaking heat. It was ridiculous. By the end of the season, removing the film from the windows was just upsetting because every single window had it coming off - not just a little. It was bad! I'm experienced in using these. I've had them since I can remember. I've never had this bad an experience. Never again. If you are smart, you'll shop around for a different brand. PS when I did my review search on this product, I had already heard that their tape sucked. I tried it on one window and it was true. I got the DUCT brand and the tape was better. Perhaps their film is better, too? Who's to say but what I can tell you is that either they make cheap tape AND film or people thought that the tape was the problem but it was the actual film. It also means that there are bigger and better products out there. This year, I'm back on the market. I hope no one from 3M calls me to offer me free film or some other product perk based on this review because I'll will decline with confidence.

It is rather frustrating to see that people can't figure out a simple product such as this. In any case, in brief this is how the product works. You apply double sided thin tape on the perimeter of your windows, place the plastic on top of the tape so that it adheres. And finally shrink the plastic into place. The air flow from the outside is shut off with an air tight seal, hence you prevent the draft. The biggest problem that I see people facing is tape not adhering properly, and hence eventually the seal unraveling. If your window frame is a little contoured, that means that the plastic will pull on the tape in an uneven manner, and eventually the tape will come off and the cold air can seep in again. So as a precaution, use 2 lines of tape (one next to each other). You can buy extra tape separately for around 5 bucks. And that will save you a lot of time and frustration. And as a 3rd time user of this product, I can surely recommend this, as fixing unstuck tape is a lot harder. This is how I do it. 1) Clean the perimeter of the window with clorox wipes. This removes the dust which would otherwise prevented proper sticking of the tape. And let it dry. 2) Apply one side of the tape around the window. At the corners of the rectangle, I apply small strips of tape diagonally. You will understand why later. 3) Measure your insulation sheet as required and cut it to a size 10% larger than the frame. Leave room for errors as the biggest mistake you can make is under sizing your cut. Excess film can always be cut away later. 4) And I follow a specific order for exposing the upper sticky side of tape. First expose the horizontal tape at the very top and also the diagonal strips at the top. Align your sheet and stick it appropriately. RUN YOUR FINGER ALONG TO PRESS THE SHEET DOWN AGAINST THE TAPE. 5) Then expose the tapes on the left and right side. Now stretch the film slightly and make it stick to both the sides. Stretching slight makes shrinkage process later easy. 6) Finally expose the tape at the very bottom and diagonal strips at the bottom and stick the plastic sheet. Run your finger along all the sides so make sure that the sheet properly sticks 7) Use a blow dryer to shrink the plastic into place. You should be able to tell what settings of heat and fan speed work best. I use fairly hot air blown at full force. Run the dryer along the tape also. The heat makes the adhesive expand and hence stick evenly to the plastic. 8) Check if all sides of plastic are firmly sealed. And only then cut away the excess on the sides. I would leave a little bit extra remaining just to remain cautious if the tape comes, so that I can fix it later. Insulating 5 windows should take you 1.5 hrs. But it will offer you a winter long period of cozy warmth and energy savings. The air inside the house will get dry, as there is no humidity exchange from the outside. So you might be prone to dry skin and a scratchy morning throat. A simple fix would be a humidifier, which is always recommended.

I gave this product 5 stars because of its simplicity and ease of use. It comes with solely the cellophane and 3M double sided tape. Both of which, are of high enough quality to fit the needs of window insulation. Since applying this product, my room has been significantly warmer. I have the thermostat for our old victorian home in my room. I would typically have the heat at 68-74 degrees and my room which has 4 windows would be 58-62 at night and around 66 during the 35-50 degree days in Boston. My room is now equal to the set temperature. Occasionally 2 degrees less, but I attribute that to the one window I did not cover. (much smaller stained glass window) The insulation prohibits drafts from the old, creaky windows as well as keeps the heat in. I can tell when there are drafts due to the plastic blowing around. I left a little slack at the bottom to ensure a good seal. I am extremely happy with this product overall. The tape that comes packaged is double sided and works very well on both sides. The cellophane is easy to maneuver and is folded in a way that makes it easy to use. I made the mistake of unfolding it completely for the first window I insulated. However I learned from my mistake. The cellophane is first folded vertically and then horizontally. The way they fold the plastic makes it so you can measure the length of the plastic, cut, then measure the width of the plastic and cut. I lined the inner edge of my windows before I did anything. Before you apply the plastic I would peel the corners of the double sided tape to make actual application easier. Start from the top and proceed with a single side. This way you can perfectly fit the window with excess on two sides only rather than all four. This technique also makes it easier to reduce wrinkles and make a tighter, less noticeable fit. It doesn't matter whether you start the application process with either the right or left edge. It is only important that one side is lined up and one side has excess. I did three windows with this process and it took me roughly an 1.5 hours from opening the box to finishing. The following is a list of Directions for what I think to be the most efficient application process. P.S. although exact measurements would be nice in a perfect world, give your self at least and extra 1.5" in length and width. Directions: Preparation: 1. Line windows with double sided tape, leaving second side covering on. (really press the tape down and take your time this is the second most important step) 2. Peel Corners 3. Measure windows 4. Unfold Plastic vertically, measure and cut 5. Unfold Plastic horizontally, measure and cut Application: 1. Line up plastic with the top edge and left edge of the plastic with the respective edges of the tape. 2. Place corner of plastic onto the top left corner of the tape, i.e. top left corner of the window. 3. Pull plastic tight and place plastic onto the top right corner of tape, i.e. top left corner of window. *(at this point the plastic should be hanging from the top edge of the tape from the corners of the tape) 4. Completely peel off the tape covering from the top edge of the window. 5. Press plastic onto tape from left to right tightly and slowly (This is the most important step, pressing the tape slowly and tightly. This will insure a reliable seal.) 6. Start at the top of the left edge and Peel the tape covering off an press the plastic down in 8"-12" increments till you get to the bottom. *(If you aligned the corner of the plastic properly with the edge of the tape then this side should have little to no excess. At this point the top edge and left edge should be completely sealed.) 7. Start from the top of the right edge and Repeat step 6. (This side should have a little excess) 8. At the window sill (i.e. bottom edge of tape/window) remove the tape covering completely, give yourself some slack in the plastic to accommodate the bend in the window and simply just stick the plastic down. 9. Check your corners for a good seal, especially the bottom edge. Remove and excess on the bottom and right edge of the window if need be, and you should be finished!

I bought 2 packages of this last year and it worked great! I bought 2 more packages this year. Now the tape is just a freaking mess. It’s difficult to get the adhesive off and half the time the other end peels up as well. Once I finally got the tape down and the plastic up, there are wrinkles in the plastic even after using the hair dryer. The plastic last year was crystal clear. I have a few pieces of plastic left that I wanted to put around the doggy door but now I’m out of tape.

After the winter of 2013-14 and the outrageous heating bills, we decided to go back to using the plastic over the windows solution. Back in the day it was plastic sheeting and duct tape over windows which allowed more cold air in than they stopped. It was an imperfect solution but it stopped the cold breezes. We have much better windows now but last winter's brutal cold still took a toll. The 3M window kit is an elegant, inexpensive, low tech solution. The installation is simple. A small strip of two sided tape around the window sill holds tight to the plastic with no problem. The new barrier stops any random cold leaks and does a good job holding the heat in. Three packages took care of the entire house with plenty left over. When an early November two week deep chill made a surprise visit this year the product probably already paid for itself in savings. The only problem is once it's up, it's up until spring. Sometimes you get those rare days with tolerably warm temperatures which are great for opening up windows and airing the house out after long stretches of cold. Obviously you don't want to be tearing down all your plastic at these moments, so you just have to make do. Great product which is one of those excellent and rare low cost solutions to a big problem. NOTE ON INSTALLATION: I found the easiest way to work with the large sheets was to attach a top corner then use the top edge of the window for a straight edge and place that edge first. Once the sheet is hanging from the top edge of the window I had a second person hold it taut from the bottom and only then d I cut it. I found this much easier (and more efficient in using the material) to do than pre-cutting the sheets.

I got the 5 window kit. I did not have any of the problems with the tape I read about in other reviews. It was relatively easy to install and I had plenty of tape. The tape stuck well and even though it took a little bit of effort to peel off the backing it really wasn't a problem and plastic stuck well to it. One piece had a slight swirl imperfection in the plastic when I used the hair dryer on it but really wasn't a deal breaker. I did five windows. All came out pretty clear and it gave a good seal that stopped the cold drafts pouring in from them.

Lo compré porque decia que el paquete llevababa con dos rollos de cinta. Mi paquete solo tiene una. Era la razon que habia comprado el kit... No podia encontrar solo la cinta. Y ahora, no tengo suficiente para hacer la faena.

I cannot compare to any other year, as only been in this property this winter. I'd heard previous people had had high heating bills, so used this to add to my being efficient. I plan to leave it on all year, for as long as possible. I can comment on application. Yes, a bit of a fiddle, but, do the cutting as best you can,. I laid mine out on clean table, measured, dabbed blacker pen dots to guide my cut. When applying to window, I also carefully cut sticky tape to shape to pass by the window handle section. It worked. The film still adhered tightly. The hairdryer works brilliantly, I scoped the hotair to and fro over the film and stopped when it was taut, not over-taut. After a few weeks, the film attracts a very fine deposit from the atmosphere. Wipe with dry cloth. You really only see this if sun shines directly on it. I watch birds thru this filmed-over window, and it is nearly 100%clarity to look through with binoculars. 1.5 year later update: took it all off, it started to attract tiny black harvest flies behind it. I am impressed it did the job for far longer than I thought it would. A side bit of fun was - when a fly tries to get to the window glass it poings off the plastic like it is bouncing off a trampoline. My old stone house has been insulated now so I may not use this again.

The film is very thin and can easily get pierced by sharp object if not careful. Has to be installed at least an inch away from glass pane to be effective.

This really works! I have an old 1940s home in Victoria with the old sash windows. You could feel the chill coming through them and our heater would run constantly throughout the day, never reaching 20 degrees. If I didn't put a timer on it, it would never turn off! I read a casestudy on this film via the Victoria Sustainability website and it said it does help reduce chill and retain some heat so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm glad I did. Installation is relatively easy. The tape is forgiving so you can pull off the film to restart as you install. I have shutters on the sash windows so the film is completely hidden on the inside, meaning I didn't have to be perfect when sticking the film down. From the outside, you can't even tell it's installed. note: the film doesn't go onto the window glass, it's supposed to stick on a frame, so there is a gap between it and the window glass, essentially acting like double glazing. You can immediately feel the difference. The chill from the windows are gone and my heater is actually stopping now because it reaches the thermostat temperature! I'm already saving money. I expected some effect, but it's surpassed my expectations. Highly recommended!

Follow the instructions and sealed up my window, perfect solution to keep the heat out of the window.