Not to knock triple panes—they’re definitely a step up for insulation—but I wouldn’t call them a magic bullet, especially for saving money. I put them in about five years ago, hoping it’d make a noticeable dent in my heating bills. Honestly, the difference was smaller than I expected. Most of my drafts were coming from the old siding and some gaps around the doors. I had to tackle those before I really saw any savings.
Sometimes it feels like window companies oversell how much you’ll save, when really, it’s all the little leaks and bad airflow in an old house that add up. I’m not saying triple panes aren’t worth it, but if your attic’s a mess or your walls are thin, you might not notice much change. It’s like putting new tires on a car with a busted engine—nice, but not fixing the real problem.
Can’t say I disagree. I put in triple panes a couple years back, too, thinking my bills would drop right away. The windows helped with noise and cold spots for sure, but the real game-changer was sealing up my attic hatch and adding insulation up there. If your house is drafty or poorly insulated elsewhere, new windows alone won’t move the needle much. It’s all about plugging every little gap, not just swapping glass.
I had the same thought process—put in triple panes, figured my gas bill would nosedive. Didn’t quite pan out that way. Ended up crawling around the attic with a can of foam and a roll of weatherstripping, sealing every weird little gap I could find. Only after that did I notice a real difference. If anyone’s thinking about new windows, I’d say start with the cheap fixes first, even if they’re not as flashy. Sometimes it’s the boring stuff like draft-stopping that actually pays off.
Totally get where you're coming from. I thought shelling out for triple panes would be the magic bullet, but honestly, my wallet barely noticed. Biggest change came after I spent a weekend with a tube of caulk and some patience, sealing up every drafty spot I could find. Not glamorous at all, but way more effective than I expected. Kinda wish I'd started there before dropping all that cash on new windows... Live and learn, I guess.
Yeah, sealing up drafts made a way bigger difference for me too. I actually debated triple pane windows for months and ended up just replacing the worst ones with double pane, then spent a Saturday tracking down cold spots with my hand and caulking like crazy. The energy bill dropped more from that than anything else I've tried. Triple panes sound cool, but I think unless you’re in super cold climates or have really old windows, the ROI is kinda meh.
I get what you’re saying about caulking and sealing making a bigger impact than new windows, but I actually went for triple panes in my living room last winter and saw a surprising difference—maybe it’s because our house faces north and gets hammered by wind all winter. Here’s what I noticed:
First, I did the same as you—checked for drafts, sealed everything I could find, even under the baseboards. The bills dropped a bit, which was nice. But after swapping out two giant single-pane windows for triple panes (the rest are still old), there was a big change in how cold the room felt. No more cold air “river” by the couch, which meant we didn’t have to crank up the heat just to be comfortable.
The cost was steep though, and if your windows aren’t in bad shape or you’re not dealing with harsh winters, I can see how it might not be worth it. For us, that extra layer really helped with comfort more than just the bill. Sometimes it’s about not freezing your toes off, honestly...
Curious—did you notice the same comfort difference in other rooms, or just the living room with the triple panes? Sometimes folks swap out just a couple windows and feel a big change, but I wonder if that’s partly because single panes are so bad to begin with. You mentioned,
—do you think the upgrade would be as noticeable if you already had decent double panes? Always trying to weigh comfort vs. cost for clients, and it’s not always clear-cut.“the rest are still old”
do you think the upgrade would be as noticeable if you already had decent double panes?
Honestly, I’m not convinced it would. When we swapped out a couple of our old single panes for triples in the kitchen, the difference was night and day. But in the bedrooms, which already had decent double panes, I barely noticed any change—maybe a tiny bit less draft, but nothing dramatic. For the price, I’m not sure it’s worth it unless you’re replacing really old windows or live somewhere super cold.
If your double panes are in good shape, swapping to triples probably won’t blow your mind. I geeked out and did it in my living room—honestly, the biggest difference was less street noise, not my energy bill. Unless you’re in Alaska or your windows are ancient, it might not be worth the splurge.
the biggest difference was less street noise, not my energy bill.
Ha, I hear you—literally. Triple panes are like noise-cancelling headphones for your house. If drafts or condensation aren’t a problem with your current windows, the energy savings from triples can be pretty underwhelming unless you’ve got wild winters. I usually tell people to check for leaks and upgrade weatherstripping before dropping cash on new glass. Sometimes just fixing those little gaps does more than an extra pane ever could.