Window tips for keeping the summer heat out

[magellan]

We live in FL, where at one week into spring it's already in the 80s. We also live in a mobile home -- notoriously poorly insulated structures. Watching our electricity bills soar for a solid 6 months a year made us knuckle down a while back to keep our home as cool as possible without taxing the a/c and our wallet. Here are our frugal tips for taking care of a bad source of radiant heat: your windows.

1. Stopping the heat before it gets through your windows is the #1 most efficient thing you can do. That means planting shade trees or large shrubs around your house, and/or putting up awnings if you're allowed. (We aren't.)
   
2. Film your windows. Gila heat-blocking film can be bought at Lowes or the like and it's pretty easy to install, if a little time-consuming. Definitely a two-person job. Rolls are around $45 per; we did 11 big windows with two rolls. And there's no need to go total black-out with it. We used the platinum which cuts radiant heat up to 70% and affords a little day-time privacy, but still looks smart.
   
3. Put up mini blinds. There are all sorts that help to insulate, but even cheap plain white blinds can do a lot. We keep them closed during the day on whichever side of the house the sun is on. HINT: closing them the wrong way -- so the blades are turned up and in -- keeps more sun out than closing them the right way.
   
4. Get insulated or heavy curtains for south- and west-facing windows, which take the brunt of the sun's heat over the day. Keep those curtains closed while the sun's beating down.
   
5. This is particularly good for south- and west-facing windows: use foil-backed insulation to cover the window from the inside. My husband and I have offices on these sides of the house and they get STIFLING during the summer, even with the a/c going. This year I added REFLECTIX Foil Insulation to our office windows and the difference is dramatic. You may need a fastener, like velcro, to keep the insulation up if your windows aren't niched like ours; otherwise this particular brand of insulation molds into the space and stays put on its own. About $20 for a 4' x 15' roll (covered two windows, which was all we needed).
   

Of course you can also replace single-pane windows with double-glazed (I forget what they're called here in the US), but that's very expensive. This list is for those who are like me and want to DIY on a shoestring! :)