Honestly, I hear this a lot from folks with older homes.
That makes sense—those old sashes have character you just can't replace. Storms are underrated, especially when they're tight-fitting and paired with some frame weatherstripping. Have you noticed any condensation issues between the storms and the original windows? Sometimes that's the one downside I see pop up with this setup, but it really depends on the house and the climate."Our house is 1920s and I just couldn’t justify ripping out all the old wood windows."
I’ve worked on a bunch of 1920s and 30s houses, and I totally get wanting to keep those old wood windows. They’re just built different—plus, you get all that wavy glass and chunky trim you can’t really fake with new stuff. I’ve had a few clients go the storm window route instead of swapping everything for triple-pane, mostly for the same reasons you mentioned: character, cost, and not wanting to trash something that’s lasted a hundred years.
Condensation between storms and original sashes does pop up sometimes, especially in colder climates or if there’s a lot of humidity inside the house. I noticed it more in homes where the interior storms were added but the original windows weren’t sealed up super tight. If there’s any air getting through, warm moist air hits the cold glass and… yeah, you get that foggy look. Sometimes it’s minor, sometimes you get little puddles on the sill.
One thing I’ve found helps is making sure both the primary window and the storm are as airtight as possible—weatherstripping makes a big difference. Some folks add a tiny weep hole at the bottom of the storm frame to let trapped moisture out, but you gotta be careful with placement or you’ll end up with drafts.
I’ll admit, triple-pane windows are pretty impressive performance-wise. You get better energy efficiency and less noise from outside. But they’re a big investment, and ripping out those old frames can open up a whole can of worms—lead paint, weird framing surprises behind the trim, that sort of thing. Plus, new windows never quite match the look of old ones unless you’re spending an arm and a leg.
If someone’s main goal is comfort and saving on energy bills (and they don’t care about historic details), triple-pane might make sense. But for most folks with older homes who want to keep some original charm, storms paired with good weatherstripping are honestly hard to beat for bang-for-buck.
Funny enough, I did have one client who tried interior storms first—those magnet ones—and then added exterior aluminum storms later because condensation was bugging them. That combo actually worked out pretty well for them… maybe overkill for some houses, but it solved their problem.
Curious if anyone else has played around with both setups? Every old house seems to have its own personality when it comes to this stuff.
Yeah, I hear you on the condensation thing—seen it get pretty gnarly in some homes, especially when people crank up the humidifiers in winter. Weatherstripping is a game changer, but I’ve had a couple projects where even with that, you’d still get some fog if the storms or sashes weren’t aligned just right. Triple-pane is tempting for comfort, but honestly, I’ve run into more headaches than expected with retrofits in old houses. The charm you lose is hard to put a price on. Storms just feel like a good compromise most of the time.
Had a similar debate with myself last year. I geeked out on the specs for triple-pane, but when I actually tried to retrofit them into my 1920s place, it was a mess—frame sizes were off, and suddenly I’m losing all the original trim. Ended up doing storms instead. Not as flashy, but way less hassle, and honestly, the energy savings were still noticeable. Triple-pane’s great in new builds, but for older homes, storms just fit better without wrecking the vibe.
“Ended up doing storms instead. Not as flashy, but way less hassle, and honestly, the energy savings were still noticeable.”
Same boat here—my place is a 1935 brick bungalow, and after one look at what triple-pane would do to my original woodwork, I noped right out. Here’s how it went for me: 1) measured my old windows (twice, because I messed up the first time), 2) ordered decent storms, 3) installed with minimal cursing. Not glamorous, but I still noticed drafts drop big time. Plus, didn’t have to sell a kidney to pay for it. Triple-pane might be king for new builds, but storms are like the duct tape of old houses—just works.
“Triple-pane might be king for new builds, but storms are like the duct tape of old houses—just works.”
That’s spot on. I’ve worked on a lot of pre-war homes and, honestly, storms are usually the best compromise if you care about keeping the original windows. I’ve seen too many beautiful casings get wrecked trying to shoehorn modern units in. Energy-wise, tight storms plus some weatherstripping can get surprisingly close to double-pane performance. Not perfect, but unless you’ve got major rot or single panes rattling in the wind, storms are a solid upgrade without gutting your budget or your trim.
Yeah, I hear you on the storms. I tried swapping out a couple windows in my 1920s place and instantly regretted it—nothing fit right, and I ended up with more drafts than before. Storms plus some rope caulk made a huge difference, and I didn’t have to mess with the original woodwork. Triple-pane sounds nice, but honestly, my wallet says no thanks.
Storms plus some rope caulk made a huge difference, and I didn’t have to mess with the original woodwork.
I hear you—keeping the original woodwork intact is a big deal for me too. I tried triple-pane in a newer part of my house, and honestly, the energy savings weren’t as dramatic as I’d hoped, especially given the upfront cost. Have you noticed any condensation issues with your storms in winter? I’ve had some fogging on cold mornings, but it’s still better than the drafts I used to get.
I tried triple-pane in a newer part of my house, and honestly, the energy savings weren’t as dramatic as I’d hoped, especially given the upfront cost.
Funny, I had almost the opposite experience. My place is a drafty 1920s bungalow, and after a freezing first winter, I bit the bullet and put in triple-pane on the north side. The bill drop was noticeable—maybe it’s just my old insulation, but it helped more than storms ever did for me. Condensation was still a thing on really cold days, though, just less so than with storms. Maybe it’s all about how leaky your house is to start with?