But either way, nothing beats actual double glazing... which is probably why I keep putting off replacing these ancient windows.
I hear you on the “saran wrap look.” Did the same thing on my 60s ranch and my wife hated how it made the windows look cloudy. Honestly, I ended up swapping to heavy curtains—looks better, and I swear it helped more with drafts than the film did. Double glazing is the dream, but yeah... not cheap.
Totally get the heavy curtain move. I tried the window film one winter and, yeah, it kept out some drafts but looked pretty sad. Ended up layering thermal curtains over old blinds—honestly, made a bigger difference than I expected. Still dreaming of double glazing, but my wallet says not this year...
Still dreaming of double glazing, but my wallet says not this year...
That’s the thing, right? Everyone raves about double glazing, but the price tag is no joke. I’ve always wondered—does it really pay off in older houses, or do you just end up chasing drafts from somewhere else? I did the thermal curtain trick too and, honestly, it surprised me how much warmer the room felt. But then again, I started noticing condensation on the windows. Anyone else run into that with heavy curtains?
I’ve wondered the same about older places—mine’s from the 1930s and honestly, I’m not convinced double glazing would solve everything. The walls are solid brick, so heat just sneaks out somewhere else. With thermal curtains, I did notice the condensation too, especially in the mornings. Maybe it’s because the air can’t circulate behind them? I’ve tried cracking the window a bit at night, but then you lose some of the warmth you’re trying to keep in. Always feels like a trade-off.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing with thermal curtains—great for keeping things cozy, but then you get that weird damp patch on the window sill in the morning. Ever tried those stick-on secondary glazing panels? Curious if they help with both drafts and condensation or just make the windows look odd.
Yeah, that damp patch is the bane of my winter mornings too. Tried the stick-on glazing a couple years back—honestly, it did cut down on drafts, but condensation still found its way onto the inside glass. Didn’t look terrible from a distance, but up close it’s pretty obvious you’ve got plastic on your windows. Not the worst solution if you’re renting or can’t afford new windows yet, but I wouldn’t call it perfect. Still, better than nothing when you’re desperate to keep the heat in.
That plastic film takes me back. Used it for a couple winters before we finally bit the bullet and got new double-glazed units. The film definitely helped a bit, but I always felt like I was living in a greenhouse—plus, the cat clawed one corner and that was the end of its “invisibility.” Still, when the budget’s tight, you do what you can. I will say, after getting proper windows, the difference in warmth (and peace and quiet) was night and day… but yeah, it wasn’t cheap.
The film definitely helped a bit, but I always felt like I was living in a greenhouse—plus, the cat clawed one corner and that was the end of its “invisibility.”
That’s exactly what happened with ours, except it was our toddler who poked a hole through it with a toy dinosaur. Once there was a rip, it just sort of flapped around every time someone opened the window. We tried taping it up for a while, but honestly, it looked pretty sad. Still, I agree—it did help with drafts, at least until the “dino incident.”
We finally upgraded to double-glazed windows last spring. The price tag made me wince, but I’m not exaggerating when I say our heating bill dropped noticeably. Plus, the street noise isn’t nearly as bad now. I do miss being able to open the windows whenever I wanted, though—the new ones are way heavier and kind of awkward to prop open.
Did you notice any weird condensation on your new windows? We’ve had some fogging between the panes on one of ours already and it’s only been a year. Not sure if that’s normal or if we just got unlucky with an installation issue.
Curious if anyone else ran into this after switching over.
That fogging between the panes definitely isn’t supposed to happen—sounds like the seal failed, which is honestly a bummer after just a year. With double glazing, once the seal’s compromised, moisture sneaks in and you lose a lot of that insulation benefit. Most window installs come with a warranty, so I’d push the installer to fix it. We had one pane replaced under warranty for the same reason, and it made a huge difference. Totally agree on the heating bill, though—ours dropped more than I expected, so I still think it’s worth the hassle.
Yeah, that fogging is annoying—happened to us too, and it’s wild how much it messes with both the view and the insulation. I was skeptical about warranties actually being honored, but our installer replaced the panel pretty quickly, no drama. Still, I wish these seals lasted longer. Even with the hassle, though, our heating bill dropped just like yours, so I can’t complain too much. Worth it for the comfort, honestly.