I’ve wondered about this too. I mean, the numbers look great on paper, but in my last place (built in the 60s), I went with argon and focused more on fixing drafts and adding attic insulation. That made a way bigger difference than the windows themselves. I guess if you’re already at “airtight fortress” level, maybe the fancy gas is worth it, but for most houses, it seems like overkill. Your story about sealing up the rim joists totally lines up with my experience—sometimes it’s the boring fixes that make things actually comfortable.
I hear you on the “boring” fixes making the biggest impact. Years ago, I blew a bunch of money on triple-pane windows with krypton gas for our old ranch, thinking it’d be a game changer. In reality, it was plugging up the leaky crawlspace vents and adding some basic weatherstripping that finally stopped those cold drafts. Makes me wonder—has anyone actually felt a difference between argon and the pricier gases, or is it mostly just numbers on a spec sheet?
- Tried the “fancy gas” route once (krypton, felt very James Bond at the time). Honestly, couldn’t tell a difference from the cheaper argon windows in our old place.
- Like you, sealing up the weird little gaps and slapping on some weatherstripping made a way bigger impact than the gas inside the glass.
- If you’re in a super cold climate, maybe it matters more... but for most of us, I think it’s just marketing hype and numbers that look good on paper.
- My wallet still remembers the krypton upgrade, though.
- Kind of surprised to hear krypton didn’t make a difference for you. I always thought the fancier gases would be a game changer.
- My neighbor swears by his triple-pane krypton windows, but he’s up in northern Minnesota where it gets brutal. He claims his heating bill dropped a lot.
- Maybe it’s just not worth it unless you’re somewhere with extreme temps? I’m in a pretty mild area, so maybe argon’s fine here.
- Weatherstripping definitely seems like the best bang for your buck, though. Did that last winter and noticed way less draft.