I’ve run into that greasy mess on tracks too—silicone’s great until it turns into a dust magnet. I usually wipe down the tracks first, then just a little spray and work the window up and down a few times. Makes a difference, but yeah, you can’t expect miracles on the utility bill. Curious if you noticed any difference in outside noise after the swap? Sometimes that’s almost as nice as the draft fix, especially if you’re near a busy street.
The dust magnet thing is so real—every time I try to make the tracks “slick,” I just end up with a gray sludge after a few weeks. I’ve kind of resigned myself to the wipe-and-spray routine, especially since the alternative is sticky windows that sound like a haunted house when you open them.
About the noise: I actually did notice a decent drop after putting in the thin triple-panes, though I wasn’t expecting much. Our street isn’t exactly a highway, but we’ve got a bus stop right out front and the sound used to carry straight through the old single-pane glass. Now, it’s more like a muffled background hum. Not dead silence, but enough that I don’t hear every conversation or car door slamming at 6am.
Drafts were my main motivation, but honestly, the noise reduction has been almost as satisfying. The weird thing is, I didn’t realize how much the constant noise was bugging me until it was gone. The house just feels calmer now, if that makes sense.
Utility bills? Yeah, like you said, not some miracle cure. I saw a small dip, but nothing earth-shattering—maybe 10% lower in winter, but that could just be because I finally sealed up all the gaps around the frames during install. Still, between the quieter rooms and not feeling a cold breeze near every window, I’d say it was worth the hassle and expense.
One thing I didn’t expect: the new windows are heavier than I thought. Not a problem for me, but my partner has mentioned they’re a bit harder to open than our old ones. Kind of a tradeoff, I guess—better insulation, slightly less convenient if you’re opening and closing them all the time.
Curious if anyone else ran into that? Or maybe it’s just our install...
That’s interesting about the weight—I noticed the same thing when we swapped ours out last fall. The installer warned us, but I kind of brushed it off until I realized my youngest can’t open the kitchen window without help now. It’s not a dealbreaker, but definitely something I didn’t expect, especially since the old wood frames were already pretty heavy.
About the noise, I’m right there with you. I didn’t realize how much the street traffic was getting on my nerves until it was gone. Now I can actually hear myself think in the mornings.
One thing I’m still on the fence about is the condensation. With the old single panes, we’d get fog on cold mornings, but now it’s almost completely gone. I’ve heard that can sometimes mean less airflow and maybe even mold risk if you’re not careful. Anyone else notice that? I’m wondering if the better seal is a blessing or a curse in the long run...
That condensation thing had me scratching my head too. Our old windows fogged up so much in the winter, I used to joke we were living in a cloud. Now, barely any at all—and the house does feel a bit “tighter.” I get what you’re saying about mold. I’ve started cracking a window in the bathroom after showers just in case, but honestly, I’d still take less noise and drafts over the old setup. Guess it’s one of those “pick your battles” situations.
Funny you mention that—I've seen a lot of folks trade drafty for “too tight” after window upgrades. I did a job last winter where the homeowner complained about condensation on the new windows, but it turned out her old ones just let so much air through that moisture never stuck around. Good call on venting the bathroom; sometimes people forget you still need some airflow, especially with all these modern, airtight setups. You’re right, though—less noise and drafts is a win in my book, even if you gotta crack a window now and then.
I know what you mean about the condensation. When we swapped our old windows for new ones, suddenly the bathroom mirror fogged up way more, and I was like, wait, isn’t this supposed to be better? Ended up running the fan more often. Is there some secret trick for balancing all this new “airtightness” with not feeling like I live in a submarine?
Had the same thing happen when we put in new windows last winter. Suddenly, every shower meant a fogged-up mirror and water on the window sills. I thought newer windows were supposed to help with that stuff too, but nope... seems like the house just doesn’t “breathe” the way it used to. I started cracking the bathroom window a bit, even with the fan going. Not sure if that’s defeating the purpose of triple-pane, but it’s the only way I don’t feel like I’m in a sealed box. Anyone else just open a window anyway, or is there some better way?
We had a similar issue after getting new triple-pane windows—suddenly the bathroom felt airtight and stuffy. What’s worked for me is running the exhaust fan for at least 20 minutes post-shower, plus leaving the door open a crack. I did try just opening the window but then I started worrying about condensation between the panes (maybe overthinking it). If you’ve got a humidity sensor, that can help too, just to see if things are actually improving or not. These new windows are great for energy bills, but yeah, definitely changed how air moves in the place...
Yeah, I totally get what you mean—after we swapped out our old leaky windows for triple-pane, the house felt way tighter. It’s wild how much better they are for keeping the heat in, but suddenly the bathroom mirror was fogged for ages unless I ran the fan. Have you noticed it’s harder to air things out in winter? I started using a humidity monitor too, and it’s surprising how fast it can spike after a shower. Kinda makes me wonder if we should’ve looked into some sort of trickle vent or something, but then again, that might defeat the purpose of the upgrade...
Kinda makes me wonder if we should’ve looked into some sort of trickle vent or something, but then again, that might defeat the purpose of the upgrade...
That's exactly what I was worried about—sealing everything up tight is awesome for energy bills, but where does all the moisture go? Did you notice any musty smells or condensation on the window frames after a while? I keep reading about HRV systems, but I’m still not sure if that’s overkill for a regular house. Curious if anyone’s actually seen mold issues crop up after upgrading windows, or if it’s just a humidity blip during winter.