When I swapped out my old windows last fall, the installer almost skipped the flashing because “the siding looked fine.” I insisted on it anyway, and honestly, I’m glad I did. Fast forward to this spring’s endless rain—no leaks, no drafts, just peace of mind. It wasn’t expensive, but I figure it probably saved me from water damage down the road. Anyone else got little window install tricks or regrets to share?
When I swapped out my old windows last fall, the installer almost skipped the flashing because “the siding looked fine.” I insisted on it anyway, and honestly, I’m glad I did.
Had a similar situation—installer said flashing was “optional” because of my brick exterior. Glad I pushed for it anyway. A few things I learned:
- Always check for proper sloping on the sill pan. Prevents pooling.
- Backer rod + low-expansion foam beats just caulk for sealing gaps.
- Don’t forget to tape corners; water finds the tiniest holes.
Regret not double-checking the insulation around one window... tiny draft now, and it bugs me every winter.
Interesting—my house is about 30 years old and I’ve been slowly replacing the original windows. I’ve heard mixed things about flashing with brick, so I’m kind of torn on how much is “enough.” My installer said the same thing, that the brick acts as a barrier, but I just kept thinking about water sneaking in behind the scenes. Did you notice any difference in noise or temperature after doing the extra sealing and taping? I’m always wondering if it’s just peace of mind or if it really makes a noticeable difference, especially in older homes.
Also, when you mentioned the draft, is it something you can actually feel, or is it more subtle? I’m paranoid about missing spots—seems like there are always tiny gaps you only find when it’s too late. Is there a good way to check for those after the fact, short of pulling everything apart again?
I get what you mean about the brick—my place is a ‘92 build with brick veneer, and I’ve heard a lot of conflicting advice too. My window guy basically said the same thing: “the brick’s your shield,” but I’ve seen enough YouTube horror stories to be suspicious. Honestly, when I did extra taping and sealing around my last set of windows, I didn’t notice a huge difference in temperature, but noise dropped off a bit. Could just be placebo though? Hard to say.
The draft thing is tricky. Sometimes it’s super obvious (like, you feel it on your ankles), but other times it’s just this weird cold “zone” by the window that you notice when you’re sitting still. I tried the old candle trick—move a candle slowly around the frame and watch for the flame to flicker. Not foolproof, but better than nothing if you’re paranoid about hidden gaps. Pulling everything apart again sounds like a nightmare, so I’d try that first before going nuclear.
That candle test is a classic—used it myself more than once, and yeah, it’s not exactly NASA-level diagnostics but it usually tells you what you need to know. I’ve got a 70s ranch with wood siding, and after one winter of mystery drafts, I ended up pulling the trim and discovering the world’s worst caulking job underneath. Flashing plus proper sealing made way more difference than I expected. I swear, half of window performance is just undoing whatever the last guy did in a hurry.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I’ve found that even with perfect flashing and sealing, you can still end up chasing drafts if the windows themselves are junk or warped. Had a similar situation in my 80s split-level—pulled off the trim, redid all the caulking and flashing, but those old aluminum sliders still leaked like crazy. Sometimes the fix is just biting the bullet and replacing the whole window, which is way less fun for the wallet.
Sometimes the fix is just biting the bullet and replacing the whole window, which is way less fun for the wallet.
Yeah, been there. Tried to save my old wood casements with new flashing, foam, and all the right caulk—didn’t matter. The sashes were so warped that no amount of sealing could stop the drafts or water. Honestly, it was throwing good money after bad until I finally swapped them out. Flashing’s critical, but if the window itself is shot, you’re just putting lipstick on a pig.
Totally get where you’re coming from. I tried patching up my old double-hungs for years—new weatherstripping, extra caulk, you name it. At a certain point, you just have to admit defeat and start fresh. Flashing’s huge, but it can’t work miracles if the window’s toast.
I get the temptation to just rip ‘em out and start over, but I’ve actually had some luck keeping my old wood windows alive. Spent a weekend reglazing and adding storm windows—wasn’t fun, but way cheaper than new installs. Not perfect, but it slowed down the drafts a ton. Sometimes the “toast” windows just need a little more elbow grease... or maybe I’m just stubborn.
Had a pretty similar situation with my 1950s place. Thought about just swapping all the old windows, but decided to patch ‘em up instead. Reglazing, weatherstripping, and adding storms made a bigger difference than I expected. Not gonna lie, it was a pain—scraping old putty is no joke—but my heating bill dropped, and the place feels less drafty. Sometimes the “quick fix” is just a bit of patience and a lot of caulk.