Drafty windows are the real enemy, for sure. We had this one spot in our living room where my wife swore there was a “ghost breeze” every winter—turns out it was just ancient caulk giving up the ghost. Once I finally got around to sealing it up, even our tile floor felt less like walking on an ice rink. I do miss the look of heavy curtains, but I’m with you: they make the place feel like a cave by 3pm. Engineered wood with a decent underlayment’s been solid for us—still feels warm enough, and it’s survived both dogs and spilled soup, which is saying something.
I get the appeal of engineered wood, but honestly, I think a lot of folks overlook how much difference the window itself makes—especially with big panes. Heavy curtains can help, but if the glass is single-pane or the seals are shot, you’re just fighting an uphill battle. I swapped out my old windows for double-glazed units last year and noticed more consistent temps right away, even without any thick drapes. It was a bigger investment up front, but it’s paid off in comfort (and lower bills). Sometimes it’s less about what’s on the floor and more about what’s around it.
That’s spot on about the windows—sometimes people get fixated on floors or wall insulation and forget that a drafty window will undo all that work. I swapped out a couple of old single panes in my living room two winters ago, and honestly, it made a bigger difference than the new underfloor insulation did. Did you notice any noise reduction too? For me, the double glazing cut down street noise way more than I expected. Still had to deal with some condensation issues at first, but it’s been worth it overall.
Funny you mention the noise—my place is right on a bus route, so I was desperate for some kind of fix. Swapping to double-glazed units made a noticeable difference, but honestly, I still get a fair bit of rumble when the big buses go past. Maybe it’s just the old brick walls carrying sound? Either way, it’s better than before.
I had almost the same condensation issue at first, especially on cold mornings. Took me a while to realize it was partly because I’d made everything so airtight that ventilation got worse. Ended up cracking the bathroom window just a bit overnight and that seemed to help.
Has anyone tried those heavy curtains for extra insulation? I’m tempted, but not sure if they’d block too much of the winter sun during the day. I love how much heat my living room gets from those big windows when the sun’s out, but I’m always second guessing if it’s worth sacrificing that for a bit more warmth at night...
Honestly, I tried heavy curtains a while back and ended up not loving them. They did help keep the room warmer at night, but I felt like they blocked too much of the sun during the day, which kind of defeated the point for me. You mentioned:
I love how much heat my living room gets from those big windows when the sun’s out, but I’m always second guessing if it’s worth sacrificing that for a bit more warmth at night...
That’s exactly what bugged me. I’d open the curtains in the morning and everything just felt gloomy until midday. Ended up swapping to lighter thermal blinds instead—still get most of the sunlight, but they cut down on drafts at night. Not perfect, but it’s a decent compromise.
Noise-wise, I’ve noticed old brick just doesn’t block low-frequency stuff much. Even with double glazing, you’ll still feel those bus rumbles if they’re close enough. At least it’s not as bad as before, right?
Totally get what you mean about the heavy curtains making things feel cave-like in the mornings. I switched to cellular shades last winter and honestly, it’s been a game changer for me. They’re not as good as thick curtains for heat, but I still get that sun streaming in once I pull them up. As for the noise, yeah, old brick has its quirks... My place rattles every time a truck goes by, double glazing or not. Still, I’ll take the sunlight over total silence any day.
I get the appeal of sunlight, but I’m not totally convinced cellular shades are the answer for drafty old places. I tried them in my last house—looked nice, sure, but I noticed the room still felt chilly in the mornings, especially near the windows. Maybe it’s just my old bones talking, but I’d rather deal with a bit of “cave” than wake up freezing. Does anyone else find that lighter window treatments just don’t cut it once winter really sets in? Or is it just me being stubborn about change...
- I totally get what you mean about the chill—my old place had huge windows and I tried both cellular and thick curtains.
- Honestly, the heavy drapes made a bigger difference for me, but then the room felt gloomy all day.
- Sunlight’s great, but if you can feel a draft, no shade’s gonna fix that completely...maybe some window film or extra insulation helps?
- Anyone ever try layering shades with curtains for both warmth and light? Curious if that’s overkill or actually works.
Layering shades with curtains actually isn’t overkill, especially if you’re dealing with big windows and winter drafts. I’ve done cellular shades behind blackout curtains—keeps the room warmer, but you can still let in some light by adjusting just the shade. It’s not as bulky as it sounds. If you want more sunlight, top-down/bottom-up cellulars are solid since you can leave the upper part open. Draft stoppers or window film help too, but nothing beats fixing the actual gaps if you can swing it.
That’s spot on about layering—cellular shades plus curtains really do help with drafts. I’ve got huge south-facing windows and tried just heavy drapes at first, but it didn’t cut it once the wind picked up. Cellulars made a noticeable difference, and I like being able to tweak the light without sacrificing warmth. Fixing gaps is definitely the gold standard, though... I keep meaning to get around to that, but winter always sneaks up. Your approach sounds practical, not overkill at all.