Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing with the low-E coating—great for blocking heat in summer, but drafts can still sneak in during winter. We went with argon fill and it did help with drafts, but honestly, noise reduction wasn’t as big as I expected. Maybe a slight improvement, but nothing major. Wonder if it depends on the window style or just my old house... Anyone else find a bigger difference with sound?
Funny you mention the noise thing. I’ve had a string of jobs lately where folks expected their new windows to turn their house into a recording studio. Not quite how it works, unfortunately. I always say, “It’ll help, but if your neighbor’s dog is a barker, you’ll still know his name.”
“We went with argon fill and it did help with drafts, but honestly, noise reduction wasn’t as big as I expected. Maybe a slight improvement, but nothing major.”
That lines up with what I see most of the time. Argon’s great for insulation—keeps the cold out and the heat in—but sound is a whole different animal. The window style and the thickness of the glass matter a lot more than people realize. Double pane is better than single, but if you’ve got old walls or gaps in the trim, noise just finds another way in. I once swapped out every window in a 1920s bungalow for these fancy triple-pane units. The owner was hoping to finally get some peace from the street traffic. Well, it helped... but then she realized half the noise was coming through her ancient front door and the attic vents. She was not thrilled.
Kolbe windows are solid, but unless you go with laminated glass or something specifically made for soundproofing, you’ll only get so much improvement. I tell people to think of it like putting on earmuffs versus earplugs—one helps, but it’s not magic.
Drafts are a different story. Argon fill plus a good install can really make a house feel less “breezy,” especially if you’ve been living with old leaky frames. But if your house is old (like mine), there’s always some sneaky spot letting air or sound slip through. Some days I swear my living room is auditioning for the role of “wind tunnel.”
All that said, I’d still take new windows over the rattly old ones any day. Just gotta keep expectations in check—unless you’re ready to replace half the house, too.
Noticed the same thing after my Kolbe upgrade. The drafts are basically gone, which is a huge relief in winter, but street noise is still a thing. Not as bad as before, but it’s not like living in a soundproof bubble either. I agree with what you said here:
“Double pane is better than single, but if you’ve got old walls or gaps in the trim, noise just finds another way in.”
That’s exactly what happened for me. My house was built in the 50s and, turns out, the walls and doors are just as much to blame for noise as the windows ever were. I even tried some weatherstripping on the front door and that helped more than I expected—honestly, for anyone trying to cut down on sound, that’s a cheap fix worth trying before you start budgeting for new windows.
I do think Kolbe’s build quality is better than the old stuff (mine were original wood frames, super drafty), but I wouldn’t say the noise difference was night and day. Like you said, argon fill made a real difference with insulation—my heating bill dropped a bit and the house feels less “leaky”—but if your main goal is peace and quiet, it’s not a silver bullet.
If I had to do it again, I’d probably spend extra for laminated glass in the bedrooms at least. Or maybe look into adding some heavy curtains. At the end of the day though, I’d still rather deal with a little noise than go back to rattling sashes and cold air sneaking in every crack.
Funny how fixing one problem always makes you notice another. Now I’m eyeing my old storm door like it’s the enemy...
You nailed it—once you take care of the drafts, suddenly every other weak spot stands out. I had a similar experience after my install. The difference in comfort was immediate, but the noise reduction wasn’t quite as dramatic as I’d hoped. Like you said, weatherstripping on the doors did more than I expected, especially for street noise. Heavy curtains helped too, though not much for the low rumble from trucks. Still, I’ll take a bit of city noise over freezing in my own living room any day. Funny how these old houses keep us busy...
That’s the thing with these older places—fix one draft and suddenly you’re on a scavenger hunt for the next culprit. I’ve seen folks get all new windows and still end up chasing cold air around the living room because of a sneaky gap under the baseboards or an old mail slot. Noise-wise, you’re spot on: even with premium windows, low-frequency stuff like truck engines can be tough to block unless you go full triple-pane or add some serious mass to the walls.
Weatherstripping is such an underrated upgrade, honestly. Sometimes it does more than a new window for street noise, just because those little gaps let in so much sound. Heavy curtains help with higher-pitched stuff, but yeah, that deep rumble just laughs at fabric.
Out of curiosity, did you notice any condensation changes after your install? Sometimes better windows shift where moisture shows up, especially in these drafty old houses...
Yeah, chasing drafts in these old houses is like a never-ending game. I swapped out my windows too, and you'd think that'd solve it, but nope—still found cold air sneaking in around the outlets. Totally agree on weatherstripping doing more than people expect. Did you have to mess with your trim or anything after the install? Sometimes that opens up new gaps...
Did you have to mess with your trim or anything after the install? Sometimes that opens up new gaps...
Yeah, running into new gaps after window installs is basically a rite of passage in these old houses. When I did my Kolbe swap last fall, I thought I'd just be dealing with the window frames themselves, but turns out the original trim was hiding all sorts of sins. Pulled it off and—no surprise—there were some pretty big voids between the framing and the plaster. Ended up having to use low-expansion foam to fill most of it, then a bit of backer rod before reinstalling the trim. Still, found a couple spots where the cold air snuck in around the outlets like you mentioned, especially on exterior walls.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder if these houses are just determined to be drafty no matter what you do. Weatherstripping helps, but there always seems to be another spot—like under the baseboards or along the floor joists in the basement—that wants attention. Did you notice any difference in noise reduction after your install? I found that was actually more noticeable than the temperature change at first.
One thing I ran into: after reinstalling the original trim, I had a little bit of cracking along the caulk lines a month later. Maybe just settling? Not sure if that's common or if I rushed it. Curious if anyone's tried using new trim instead of reusing old—does that help seal better, or just open up another can of worms?
The outlet thing is weird too. I started putting those foam gaskets behind every cover plate and it helped a bit, but not as much as I'd hoped. Wonder if that's just par for the course with these older walls and lack of insulation.
Anyway, swapping windows is definitely worth it overall, but it's never quite as simple as you'd hope...
One thing I ran into: after reinstalling the original trim, I had a little bit of cracking along the caulk lines a month later. Maybe just settling? Not sure if that's common or if I rushed it.
That cracking is pretty normal, especially in older houses where nothing is ever truly square or stable. I tried using new trim once, thinking it’d give me a cleaner finish, but honestly it just highlighted how uneven the walls were—ended up with even bigger gaps in some spots. Reusing the old trim at least hides some of the weirdness. For the outlets, I’ve heard about people using spray foam inside the wall cavity (carefully), but I haven’t worked up the nerve to try that yet...
I ran into the same cracking after caulking my old trim, especially in spots where the plaster was already a bit sketchy. Seems like it’s just part of dealing with older homes—everything’s always moving a little. I did try the spray foam trick behind one outlet and honestly, it got messy fast. If you go that route, tape off everything you don’t want to scrape later...
That spray foam is no joke—one minute you’re filling a gap, next thing you know it’s oozing out everywhere and you’re chiseling it off the floor. I’ve had better luck with backer rod and a flexible caulk, but even then, the old plaster likes to crack just for fun. Did you notice if the new Kolbe windows helped with drafts around your trim? I’m curious if it actually makes a noticeable difference in those creaky old walls or if the rest of the house just finds a new spot to leak air.