if there’s a draft sneaking in around the window, it doesn’t matter how many panes you’ve got
This is so true. When we moved in last year, I was all hyped about replacing the old windows with something fancier, but then realized half the problem was just ancient frames and bad seals. Ended up spending a weekend with some weatherstripping and caulk instead of dropping thousands right away. Not glamorous, but it made a bigger difference than I expected.
I totally get what you mean about noise, too. Our street isn’t super busy, but even just cutting down on random dog barking at night has been nice. Triple pane is tempting for that alone...but yeah, price tag is real.
Honestly, I think your point about energy savings in summer gets overlooked a lot—everyone talks about winter drafts, but losing cool air is just as annoying (and expensive). If I ever upgrade to triple pane, I’ll definitely make sure the frames are solid first. Thanks for sharing your experience—it helps to hear from someone who’s actually lived with them.