- Totally get it—new windows are only part of the puzzle.
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Couldn’t agree more. I swapped out every window in my old ranch, but the draft through the crawlspace still made the floors ice-cold.“if your front door’s whistling Dixie, it’s like putting a Band-Aid on a leaky boat.”
- Ripping out the old casings stings, especially when you’re dealing with that original woodwork you just can’t buy anymore. Sometimes I end up saving the best pieces for future patch jobs.
- I did notice, at least with Andersen, the install was tighter than some of the other brands I tried. Less shimming, better fit.
- Curious—anyone ever tried sealing up attic hatches or adding weatherstripping to old doors before going all-in on windows? Wondering if it made a bigger dent in the bills than just the window swap.
“if your front door’s whistling Dixie, it’s like putting a Band-Aid on a leaky boat.”
That hit home—literally. I used to obsess about my drafty windows, but after sealing the attic hatch with some leftover foam tape and adding a door sweep to the back door, I swear the house felt less like a wind tunnel overnight. The energy bills didn’t drop dramatically, but it was enough to notice. Still, I sometimes wonder if it was just in my head or if the numbers actually back it up.
I do get torn about ripping out original stuff though, especially those chunky old casings. Sometimes I stash them in the garage thinking I’ll use them for something down the line... never really do.
For anyone who’s tried both—did you feel more of a difference from sealing up the “hidden” leaks (like attic hatches and crawlspaces) than from new windows? Or is it all just incremental? My place is a 1950s Cape and it always feels like there’s one more spot letting cold air in.