Honestly, I’d rather live with slightly oversized trim than spend another week mudding and sanding. Sometimes you’ve just gotta pick your battles...
I hear you on picking your battles—been there with my 1920s place, and the trim vs. plaster dilemma is real. Oversized casing definitely saves sanity, but have you noticed any impact on air sealing around those bigger trims? I found that when I went with chunkier colonial casing, it was easier to hide the rough edges, but I worried a bit about how well I was really sealing out drafts, especially in winter.
Also, did you notice any difference in energy bills after swapping to the Simonton frames? I’m leaning toward the contemporary style for the slimmer profile, but I keep second-guessing if the extra glass area means more heat loss compared to the chunkier, more traditional frames. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but our heating costs are already a pain.
One other thing—did you insulate behind the new trim at all, or just rely on spray foam around the window? I tried both ways in different rooms and can’t decide if it’s worth the extra step. Curious if anyone’s actually seen a difference, or if it’s just one of those things that sounds good on paper.
In the end, I guess it’s a tradeoff between aesthetics and efficiency. Still, I’d rather deal with a slightly clunky look than another drafty winter.
Oversized trim looks fine in older houses, but I actually found it made sealing a bit trickier for me. The bigger profile hid gaps, sure, but I had to go back and caulk twice because I could still feel cold air sneaking in around the edges—maybe it was just my install, but it bugged me. About the Simonton frames, I didn’t notice a big swing in my bills either way, but honestly, the glass quality and how well you foam the cavity matter more than frame thickness from what I’ve seen. I tried both spray foam and insulation behind the trim—couldn’t tell much difference unless the gaps were huge. Sometimes I think we overthink these details and the real culprit is just old walls that leak everywhere else...
I’ve run into the same thing with oversized trim—looks great, but man, getting a good seal is way more of a pain than with the skinny stuff. I had to go back and hit the corners with caulk more than once, too. Can’t say it made a huge difference on drafts, though. Honestly, I think you nailed it: old walls just have a million sneaky gaps.
On the Simonton windows, I swapped out some originals for their contemporary line last fall. Didn’t see much change in bills either, but the glass feels warmer to the touch, which is nice in winter. I agree, frame thickness is kind of overrated unless you’re after a certain look. The foaming behind the trim—same here, unless you’ve got major gaps, it’s not a game changer.
If your house is older, sometimes it feels like you’re chasing drafts around in circles. I started focusing more on attic insulation and sealing up the rim joist in the basement, and that made a bigger difference than any window upgrade I’ve done.
Trim work on old plaster walls is always a bit of a circus, honestly. I’ve had projects where I spent more time fussing with caulk and shims than actually installing the window. I totally get what you mean about chasing those drafts—sometimes it feels never-ending, especially in houses that have settled every which way over the years.
On Simonton’s lines, I’ve installed both the contemporary and traditional styles for clients. The difference in energy savings between the two has always been pretty marginal in my experience—like you said, it’s more about aesthetics unless you’re dealing with some wild frame gaps. I do notice that folks tend to pick contemporary for cleaner sightlines, but the performance specs are usually close enough not to sway the decision.
Funny thing, I once had a homeowner convinced new windows would fix their cold floors... turned out we found a two-inch gap at the rim joist behind a cabinet. Stuff like that makes me wonder if most window upgrades get credited (or blamed) for stuff going on elsewhere. Anyone else find air sealing in weird spots makes a bigger difference?
Totally agree about the hidden air leaks making a bigger dent than fancy windows sometimes. I’ve spent weekends crawling around with a smoke pencil and honestly, rim joists and attic hatches are the real troublemakers in my 1920s place. Windows help for sure, but if you skip sealing those weird little spots, you’ll still feel drafts no matter how many panes you stack up. The Simonton debate is almost moot unless you’re dealing with huge gaps or busted sashes. For me, it’s always been: air seal first, then worry about window style.
- Totally with you on the rim joists and attic hatches—those spots are sneaky. I threw down a bunch of caulk and foam around my basement sills last winter, and the difference was way bigger than when I swapped out two old windows upstairs.
- Windows are great for looks and noise, but if you can feel a breeze coming from under your baseboards, new glass won’t fix that.
- I get the appeal of the Simonton styles though. For me, it was about which one actually matched the weird proportions in my 1940s living room. Ended up going traditional just because the contemporary looked off with my old trim.
- Curious—did anyone try both styles in the same house? Wondering if mixing them messes with curb appeal or if it’s all in our heads.
Had a job last year where the homeowners mixed traditional and contemporary Simonton windows—traditional up front, contemporary in the back addition. Honestly, from the street, you’d never know unless you’re really looking for it. The trim and siding did most of the heavy lifting on curb appeal.
Inside was a different story. The contemporary ones had slimmer frames, so they let in more light, but they looked a bit odd next to the old-school woodwork in the original rooms. The owners didn’t mind, but I could see how it might bug someone who’s picky about details. If your house has a lot of character, sometimes matching the window style to the era just feels right.
Funny enough, they cared way more about drafts and insulation than style by the end of it. Once we sealed up all those gaps around the sills and joists, their heating bill dropped more than after any window swap. Goes to show—sometimes it’s what you can’t see that makes the biggest difference.
Once we sealed up all those gaps around the sills and joists, their heating bill dropped more than after any window swap. Goes to show—sometimes it’s what you can’t see that makes the biggest difference.
I’ve noticed the same—chasing after window style is one thing, but if the install isn’t airtight, you’re just burning money. Honestly, I get why people like the slimmer frames for light, but if your trim is classic or chunky, it can look mismatched. Personally, I’d rather spend extra time on insulation and flashing than stress about frame profiles. Style fades, drafts stick around.
I ran into the same dilemma with my 80s ranch—those sleek frames looked great in the showroom, but once I held up a sample against my old-school trim, it just felt off. Here’s what helped: I focused on getting the install right first—insulation around the frame, proper flashing, all that. After that, the style choice felt less stressful since I knew drafts wouldn’t sneak in no matter which frame I picked. If you’re torn, maybe try taping up a cardboard mockup to your trim and living with it for a day or two. Sometimes seeing it in the real space makes the decision way easier.
Sometimes seeing it in the real space makes the decision way easier.
Totally agree—mockups saved me from buyer’s remorse more than once. I got all hyped on those modern frames too, but next to my chunky 70s baseboards they just looked...awkward. Ended up going with a more classic style, but spent most of my energy making sure the caulking and insulation were perfect. Honestly, no one notices the frame if there’s a draft blowing through!