That draft at the bottom sash is the story of my life, honestly. My place is a ‘50s ranch, and I swear the only thing level is the kitchen table (and even that’s debatable after a few drinks). I swapped out two old double-hungs for Jeld-Wen casements last fall, thinking it’d be a magic fix. Nope—still felt a little breeze right by the sill when the wind was up.
Turns out, like you said, the foam and caulk around the frame made way more difference than the window itself. I had to pull the trim off and redo the whole thing after realizing there were some pretty wild gaps hiding back there. Not my favorite Saturday.
And yeah, matching that old trim? Gave up after three trips to the lumber yard and just painted it black. Now I call it “intentional contrast.”
Did you notice any weird creaking or shifting with yours during temperature swings? Mine seem to settle every time the weather changes, which keeps things interesting...
That creaking and shifting sounds all too familiar. I put in a set of Jeld-Wen casements in my ‘62 split-level, and every big temperature swing, there’s a chorus of pops from the frames. I chalked it up to the house settling—old lumber just moves more than you’d expect. One thing that helped was tightening up the shims after the first winter. And totally agree about the foam and caulk making a bigger difference than the window itself. The “intentional contrast” trim is a smart move... I gave up matching mine and just called it “mid-century eclectic.”
Funny you mention the “mid-century eclectic” trim—mine ended up like that too, mostly out of frustration. I’ve noticed the foam and caulk do way more for drafts than the actual window itself, just like you said. Did you have to re-caulk after your first winter, or did it hold up? Also, how’s your hardware holding out? I had a latch get sticky during the first cold snap, which surprised me.
I had to laugh at “mid-century eclectic”—that’s basically the vibe in my place too, just with a little more caulk than style. Honestly, after my first winter, I did end up touching up a few spots around the windows. The foam held up fine, but I noticed some shrinkage in the caulk where the trim meets the wall. Could be I rushed it or the tube was old, who knows. Quick pass with a fresh bead and it’s been solid since.
As for hardware, I had a similar issue with one of the handles getting stiff when it got really cold—like, below 10°F. A little silicone spray fixed it, but it makes me wonder about long-term durability. I’m still happier with these than the leaky old double-hungs, but I get what you mean about surprises after install. Weather seems to test everything in ways you don’t expect until you live with it for a season or two.
That’s reassuring to hear someone else had the caulk shrink up a bit after the first winter. I always wonder if it’s just me rushing or the products getting old on the shelf—hard to tell. The hardware thing is interesting too… I had a similar issue with my kitchen window crank, but only during that cold snap last January. It loosened up again when things warmed up, so maybe it’s just the metal contracting? Still, like you said, way better than fighting with those old drafty sashes. Do you think there’s a “break-in period” for new windows, or is this just part of living in older houses?
Do you think there’s a “break-in period” for new windows, or is this just part of living in older houses?
- I’ve wondered the same thing. We swapped out our 60s-era sliders for Jeld-Wens about three winters ago.
- First winter, the caulk definitely shrank a little. Didn’t matter if I used the “good” stuff or not—guess it’s just what happens when things settle and the house does its seasonal shifting.
- Hardware getting stiff during cold snaps? Totally had that too. Crank handles on a couple windows felt like they were glued shut in January, then worked fine by March. Metal contracting seems likely, but honestly, sometimes it feels like these houses do whatever they want.
- As far as a “break-in period,” I’d say yeah, a bit. Between the wood framing flexing and everything adjusting to temperature swings, there’s always some minor tweaks after install.
- Still beats those old sashes that wouldn’t budge unless you gave them a solid hip-check.
If you’re in an older place, I think some of this stuff just comes with the territory... new windows or not. At least now I don’t get that arctic blast every time the wind picks up.
I get what you’re saying about the house itself being part of the issue, but I’m not totally convinced that a “break-in period” is something we should just expect with new windows. When I had mine replaced (also Jeld-Wen, but double-hung instead of casement), the installer was really particular about making sure everything was square and insulated right from the start. Maybe I lucked out, but I didn’t notice much shifting or hardware getting stiff, even through a pretty cold winter.
I do think older houses are always going to move around a bit—mine’s from the late 40s and nothing is ever perfectly level—but I wonder if some of those first-year quirks are more about installation than the windows themselves. Like, if things aren’t sealed up well or there’s a tiny bit of movement in the framing, maybe that’s where you get caulk shrinking or cranks sticking.
Not saying it never happens, just that maybe it isn’t inevitable? Or maybe it depends on how picky your installer is. Either way, definitely agree it’s better than drafty old windows... those were brutal in January.
I wonder if some of those first-year quirks are more about installation than the windows themselves.
That’s a fair point, but I wouldn’t discount the window design entirely. My experience with Jeld-Wen casements was a bit different—despite a careful install, I still had some minor sticking and caulk shrinkage that first winter. Older framing does settle, but casements seem more sensitive to tiny shifts than double-hungs. Maybe it’s just the nature of the hardware? Either way, I’d still take a little adjustment period over the drafts any day.
- Had the same sticking issue with my Jeld-Wen casements—first winter was a little annoying, honestly.
- Installer double-checked everything, but the old framing in my 1950s place just doesn’t play nice with tight hardware tolerances.
- Caulk shrinkage too, especially on the north side. Maybe it’s the freeze/thaw cycles?
- Still, even with those quirks, I’ll take the better seal over the old rattly windows any day. Drafts were brutal.
- I do wish casements were a bit more forgiving with movement... feels like they notice every little shift.
I do wish casements were a bit more forgiving with movement... feels like they notice every little shift.
Right? Mine are the same—if my house settles even a smidge, suddenly the crank feels like it’s fighting me. I keep thinking, did I just get unlucky or is this just how casements are? But yeah, I’ll take that over the old “arctic breeze through the living room” situation. Did you ever try adjusting the hinges a bit, or does that just make things worse?