I’ve actually messed with the magnetic weatherstripping on a couple windows—honestly, it’s a mixed bag. If your frames are perfectly flat and you’re patient lining up the strips, it seals pretty well, but any little warp or uneven paint and you’ll have gaps. Plus, the magnets aren’t super strong, so if you open and close the window a lot, they can shift out of place. I’m still not convinced it’s worth the extra cost compared to silicone tape. Has anyone found a brand that actually stays put through a whole winter?
- Magnetic strips are tricky. Like you said,
That’s been my experience too.“if your frames are perfectly flat and you’re patient lining up the strips, it seals pretty well, but any little warp or uneven paint and you’ll have gaps.”
- Haven’t found a brand that really holds up the whole season, especially if you’re opening windows regularly.
- Magnets just don’t have enough grab once temps drop and things contract.
- For older windows or anything with a little flex, silicone tape or standard foam’s usually more forgiving. Cheaper too, honestly.
- If you want to try magnets, prep is everything—sand down paint drips, fill low spots, clean surfaces. Even then, still not perfect.
- Best luck I’ve had: layered silicone tape as a base, then magnet strip over top. Not pretty but it kept the draft out through January.
- At this point, unless you’re dealing with a super modern window, I’d stick with the classic tapes. Less hassle and you won’t be re-sticking them every few weeks.
Like you said, That’s been my experience too. - Haven’t found a brand that really holds up the whole season, especially if you’re opening windows regularly.
That’s basically been my experience—magnet strips sound great in theory, but unless your window frames are “perfectly flat,” like you said, it’s just a headache. I tried them on my 1950s double-hungs and even after sanding and cleaning, the magnets barely held once it got cold. The foam tape’s ugly, but it stuck way better and didn’t care about the frame not being square. Honestly, for older windows, I think the classic foam or silicone tape just wins on practicality and cost. Magnets are fiddly and just don’t hold up to real-world use, at least not for me.
Yeah, magnets always seemed promising, but I ran into the same problem with my 60s casement windows. They just never sat flush, so the magnetic seal was more wishful thinking than reality. Foam tape isn’t pretty, but it gets the job done, especially when you’re dealing with frames that aren’t square. Sometimes simple and cheap really does work best. You’re not alone in this—older windows just have their own rules.