Still, I’ll take a bit of glass fog over those icy drafts any day... older houses are just full of surprises.
Funny thing is, sometimes that “bit of glass fog” can actually turn into a bigger headache than drafts. If the condensation hangs around, you can get mold or even start seeing the wood rot on the sill. I’ve swapped out more than a few sills over the years for folks who thought it was just harmless moisture. Honestly, with decent weatherstripping and a little attention to humidity inside, you can usually keep both issues in check. Just depends on how much you want to fuss with it.
That’s a solid point about condensation turning into a bigger issue than drafts. I used to think a little fog on the glass was just part of winter, but after dealing with black mold creeping along the bottom rail of a bathroom window, I’m a lot more cautious now. Funny how you don’t notice it until the paint starts bubbling or you catch that musty smell.
I’ve found that swapping out old weatherstripping made a bigger difference than I expected, both for drafts and for keeping moisture where it belongs. With my Jeld-Wen doors, I haven’t had much trouble so far—though I do keep an eye on the humidity, especially in the shoulder seasons when things get damp but not cold enough to run heat all day.
One thing I’d add: sometimes it’s worth checking your exhaust fans or even just cracking a window for a few minutes if you’re getting persistent fog. It’s amazing how much difference a bit of airflow can make. Still, older houses always seem to have one spot that’s stubborn no matter what you do... part of their charm, I guess.
You nailed it about the weatherstripping—most folks underestimate how much that helps, especially with older doors and windows. I see a lot of people jump straight to replacing the whole unit when half the time, a ten-dollar strip fixes 90% of the problem. Jeld-Wen’s been decent in my experience too, but I’ve seen their seals go sooner than some other brands if you don’t keep an eye on them. And yeah, ventilation is king. People try to seal up every crack, then wonder why they’re fighting mold. Sometimes you’ve gotta let the house breathe a bit, even if it means cracking a window in January.