Full-frame install was a pain—dust everywhere, took longer than I planned.
That’s the part nobody tells you about up front. I’ve done more full-frame swaps in old houses than I can count, and every single one turned up something unexpected—rot, missing insulation, even an old mouse nest once. It’s a mess, but like you said, the payoff is real when winter rolls around. Inserts are tempting for the quick fix, but if your frames are rough, they just don’t cut it long term. Worth pushing through the hassle if you’re in an older place.
- Full-frame sounds like a nightmare for dust and surprises, but I guess it fixes more stuff long-term.
- Inserts seem way easier, but I’m worried they’ll just hide bigger problems in my old place.
- Anyone ever regret not doing full-frame, or is that just overkill sometimes?
I get where you’re coming from—full-frame does sound like a pain, but sometimes I think it’s worth it just to know you’re not leaving any rot or weird stuff hiding in the walls. When I did inserts in my last house, it was way easier and way less mess, but a year later I found some water damage around one of the sills that the old frame had been hiding. Didn’t regret the insert, but it was kind of a “wish I’d checked deeper” moment. If your frames are still solid, inserts can totally work, though. Just depends how much you trust what’s under there, honestly.