Funny you mention those sneaky leaks—I spent a weekend chasing drafts with a smoke pencil and honestly, the amount of cold air coming in around my old letterbox was wild. After sealing that and adding some insulation in the loft hatch, my heating bills dropped more than after I swapped to double glazing. Triple glazing always sounded tempting, but I wonder if it’d really make much difference in a 1960s house like mine, where the walls themselves aren’t that great. Anyone else find draft-proofing more bang for your buck?
my heating bills dropped more than after I swapped to double glazing
Same here—draft-proofing made a bigger dent in my bills than new windows ever did. I did look into triple glazing, but honestly, with older walls and floors, it felt like overkill. Sealing up gaps and adding loft insulation just gave way more noticeable results for less money. If your walls aren’t insulated, triple glazing probably won’t pay off as much as you’d hope.
Yeah, I’d agree—triple glazing sounds great on paper, but unless the rest of your place is already well-insulated, it’s not going to do much. Here’s what worked for me, step by step:
1. Found all the obvious draughts (doors, floorboards, even around pipes). Used cheap foam strips and sealant.
2. Topped up loft insulation—made a bigger difference than I expected.
3. Only after that did I bother with new windows. Double glazing was enough for my 1950s semi.
Triple glazing was tempting, but the price was way higher and honestly, I’d rather put that money into wall insulation or even a better boiler. If you’ve got old brick walls with no cavity insulation, heat just escapes anyway. I’d say fix the basics first, then look at fancy windows if you’re still not happy.
Funny thing—my neighbor went straight for triple glazing and still complains about cold floors. Sometimes it’s the boring fixes that actually work best.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve seen triple glazing make a real difference in certain spots—especially on busy roads or if you’ve got big windows facing north. Sound insulation is another perk people forget about. Yeah, it’s pricey, but for some houses it’s the only thing that really tackles drafts and noise together. Double glazing’s fine for most, but sometimes that extra pane does more than you’d think...
- Swapped out old double glazing for triple on a client’s house near a main road—honestly, the drop in traffic noise was huge.
- North-facing rooms stayed warmer too, especially in the mornings.
- It’s not cheap, and yeah, double works for most. But in noisy spots or drafty older homes, that third pane can really pay off.