Funny, I used to swear by that shrink film too—until the third winter when it just couldn’t keep up with the drafts. Double-pane is a game changer, but I’ll admit, the sticker shock slowed me down for years. One thing I’m still not sure about: have folks here noticed any downsides to double-pane, like condensation between panes or tricky repairs? Sometimes I wonder if the old single panes were easier to patch up, even if they weren’t as efficient...
That shrink film is a rite of passage, I swear. Every fall, I'd be up on a chair, hair dryer in hand, trying to seal out the arctic blast—never quite worked as well as I'd hoped. Finally splurged on double-pane when my old sash windows started rattling every time a truck went by. The difference in warmth was immediate, but yeah, the price tag stung for a while.
About downsides: I did get some fogging between panes in one window after a couple years. Turns out the seal failed—probably from the way I slammed that window shut during a storm (long story involving a very startled cat). Fixing it wasn't as simple as patching a single pane; had to replace the whole unit, which wasn’t cheap. Still, I’d take that over the endless drafts and plastic sheeting any day.
Single panes were definitely easier to MacGyver in a pinch, but I don’t miss waking up to ice on the inside of the glass. It’s all trade-offs, right?
Single panes were definitely easier to MacGyver in a pinch, but I don’t miss waking up to ice on the inside of the glass.
Yeah, I remember the days of putting towels on the windowsill to catch all the condensation. My old place had those drafty single panes too—used to get frost patterns on the inside every January. Upgrading to double-pane was a hit to the wallet, but honestly, not having to mess with shrink film every year is worth it for me. Had one unit fog up after a bad hailstorm, but like you said, it’s still better than feeling that winter wind sneaking in. Definitely a trade-off, but I’ll take it.