- Tried the silicone stuff last winter on a couple of drafty casement windows.
- Install was easy, but honestly, it started peeling at the corners after maybe three months—especially where the frame wasn’t totally flat.
- Didn’t look bad at first, but by spring it was collecting dust and kind of gross.
- Might work better on newer windows? For my old, uneven frames, rope caulk stuck way better... just not winning any style points there either.
- Not sure I’d buy silicone again unless they’ve improved the formula.
I feel you on the silicone stuff. I tried it on my 1950s double-hungs a couple winters ago, and it looked promising at first—clean lines, easy to smooth on. But by the time February rolled around, I noticed the same thing: corners curling up, especially where the wood frame wasn’t close to square anymore. I guess that’s just old house quirks. It didn’t help that my cat decided the peeling bits were toys, so it got even messier.
I actually switched to the foam weatherstripping tape last year, just to see if it’d be any better. It wasn’t perfect, but it did a better job sticking to the uneven surfaces, and it was way easier to peel off in the spring. Not the prettiest solution, but my heating bill was noticeably lower.
Honestly, I’ve kind of accepted that nothing’s going to look great on these old frames unless I cough up for full window replacement. Until then, it’s a mix of rope caulk, foam tape, and heavy curtains for me.
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually had the opposite experience with the foam tape on my old sashes. Maybe it’s just the humidity here, but the adhesive barely lasted through January, and I found myself re-sticking corners every couple weeks. I ended up going back to the silicone, but this time I used painter’s tape as a guide and pressed it in with a putty knife—held up a bit better, at least until the cat got involved. It’s a losing battle with these drafty windows sometimes, but I’ll admit, the heating bill difference is hard to argue with.
- Had better luck with foam tape than silicone, honestly.
- Stuck it on during a dry spell last fall—still holding up, even with the dog scratching at the window.
- Maybe it’s just less humid here?
- Silicone always seemed messier and harder to remove for me.
- Heating bill still dropped, so I’ll take it.
Foam tape’s definitely less of a pain to put up compared to silicone. I’ve seen folks get decent results with it, especially if they’re careful about cleaning the surface first. But I gotta admit, I’ve had a few jobs where foam tape started peeling after a wet winter, even though it looked fine going on. Maybe you’re right about the humidity making a difference.
Funny thing, the mess with silicone drives me nuts too—sticks to everything, and good luck getting it off your hands or the trim later. But once it’s on and cured, I’ve noticed it tends to hold up through more than one season, even if you’ve got pets or kids clawing at the windows.
Have you ever tried one of those shrink film kits? I see mixed results with those—some folks swear by 'em, others say they fog up or tear too easily. Just curious what made you pick foam tape over other options.
Shrink film kits actually surprised me the first time I tried one. I figured they’d fog up or look tacky, but after a careful install, they were almost invisible and really cut down the draft. The key is getting the plastic super tight with the hair dryer—otherwise, yeah, it sags or tears. I do think they’re a better barrier than foam tape for actual cold air, especially in older windows that leak from the edges. Downside is you lose access to the window till spring, but energy-wise, they’re pretty effective. Foam tape’s just easier if you need to open and close things regularly.
Downside is you lose access to the window till spring, but energy-wise, they’re pretty effective.
That’s my main gripe with the shrink film too. I get that it works (and I’ll admit, it’s way less ugly than I expected), but being locked out of opening the window for months just bugs me. I tried foam tape on our draftiest window—didn’t totally stop the cold, but at least I could still crack it open if the kitchen got smoky. Maybe I’m just too paranoid about needing a quick escape route or fresh air...
Totally get where you’re coming from. I’ve put up that shrink film a bunch of times for customers, and yeah, it’s like sealing your window in a Ziploc bag till spring. Works great for drafts, but if you like a breeze or just want to air the place out after burning toast (been there more times than I care to admit), it’s a pain.
Foam tape’s a decent compromise. It won’t block as much cold as the plastic, but you can still open the window if you need to. I’ve also seen some folks layer both—tape around the frame for the worst gaps, then only use film on windows you never open anyway. Not the prettiest solution, but it keeps the options open.
Funny thing, I once had a customer who swore by just rolling up old towels and shoving them in the sill each night. Not exactly high tech, but they could take them out anytime. Sometimes low-tech wins, especially if you’re not keen on being totally sealed in for months.
I tried the shrink film route a few years back and, yeah, it really does turn your living room into a sealed Tupperware. It cut down the drafts a ton, but I ended up peeling it off by February because I couldn’t stand not being able to crack a window—especially after burning popcorn, which happens more than I care to admit.
Funny thing, I once had a customer who swore by just rolling up old towels and shoving them in the sill each night. Not exactly high tech, but they could take them out anytime. Sometimes low-tech wins, especially if you’re not keen on being totally sealed in for months.
Honestly, I’ve done the towel trick too. It’s not pretty, but it’s fast and you don’t have to deal with sticky residue or tearing off tape in the spring. I’m kind of skeptical about weatherstripping tape lasting through a full winter, though. The first time I tried it, it started peeling off after a couple months—maybe I didn’t clean the frame well enough? Or maybe it just hates old wood windows. Either way, it felt like a temporary fix.
That said, I get the appeal. If you’ve got those big gaps where you can literally feel the breeze, it’s better than nothing. I’ve actually layered foam tape with a rolled-up towel at the bottom when things got really drafty. Not exactly a magazine-ready look, but it worked. Plus, I could still open the window if I needed to air out the place.
One thing I found is that you kinda have to experiment and see what sticks (pun intended). Every window in my house seems to have its own personality—some tape holds, some doesn’t, and one just refuses to cooperate no matter what. At this point, I pick my battles and just focus on the worst offenders. If you want to go low effort, towels and maybe some tape are a decent combo. If you’re after max efficiency and don’t mind feeling sealed in, plastic film is hard to beat. Just depends on how much hassle you’re willing to put up with for a little warmth.
Every window in my house seems to have its own personality—some tape holds, some doesn’t, and one just refuses to cooperate no matter what.
That hits home. My place was built in the ‘50s and honestly, it feels like each window needs its own custom approach. I tried weatherstripping tape on a few last fall—cleaned the frames with rubbing alcohol first, but by January, half of it was peeling off. The ones that stuck made a noticeable difference, though. For the stubborn ones, I ended up wedging a folded dish towel at the bottom (not glamorous but whatever). Haven’t gone full shrink film yet because I can’t give up opening a window either... especially after cooking mishaps.