Do you ever wonder if anyone else even notices those wobbly lines? I swear I see every single one, but my partner just shrugs and says it looks fine.
This is so relatable. I’ll spend way too long obsessing over a little drip or crooked bead, but when friends come over, they’re just happy the draft is gone. My neighbor once told me, “If you can’t see it from the street, it’s perfect,” and honestly... that’s become my motto. I tried the blue tape trick too—just ended up making a bigger mess and swearing at the goo. Sometimes ‘good enough’ really is good enough.
Sometimes ‘good enough’ really is good enough.
Totally get this. I used to be super picky about every little caulk line, but after fighting with a sticky tube and getting more on my hands than the window, I’ve chilled out. Most of the time, nobody even notices unless you point it out. One thing I wish I’d known: getting the old window out is way messier than putting the new one in. Dust everywhere, and those little bits of wood trim never fit back quite right... but hey, as long as it keeps the rain out, I'm calling it a win.
Totally hear you on the trim never sitting quite right again. I spent ages trying to get mine flush and just gave up after the third round of sanding and caulking. At a certain point, you realize nobody’s coming in with a magnifying glass, right? As long as it’s sealed and looks halfway decent, you’re ahead of the game. Sometimes you just have to embrace the “lived in” look... adds character, if you ask me.
That makes me feel a lot better, honestly. I keep looking at the corners on my first window and thinking there’s no way I’ll ever get everything perfectly flush. Tried filling, sanding, even a little wood putty, but at some point I just had to accept it wasn’t going to look like the original trim. Like you said, as long as there aren’t any gaps where air or water can get in, it’s probably fine.
I was getting pretty frustrated seeing all these “after” photos online where everything looks showroom perfect. In real life, especially in an older house like mine (built in the 60s), nothing is truly square anyway. I guess it’s just learning to let go of perfection and focus on function. Sealed up? Check. No drafts? Check. The rest is just... character, right?
That’s exactly how I felt doing my first window. I’d measure and re-measure, try to get the corners lined up, and still end up with little gaps or places where the trim just didn’t sit flush. You hit the nail on the head—older houses are never square. Mine’s a ’72 ranch, and some of those framing angles are just wild. I started out thinking I could get everything looking like those Pinterest “after” shots, but after a few tries, I realized the pros have tricks (and maybe newer houses) we don’t.
Honestly, after I caulked everything and made sure there was no draft, I stopped stressing about perfect lines. I did learn that using flexible trim or quarter round helps hide a lot of sins, especially in those weird spots where nothing wants to line up. Plus, once you paint it all the same color, most imperfections just vanish unless you’re really looking for them.
At this point, I figure a little unevenness just adds to the story of the house. If it’s tight and dry, that’s what really matters. Those “character” marks are just proof someone cared enough to fix it up.