After months of dealing with condensation and fogging up here in the mountains, finally upgraded my windows to ones filled with argon gas. Huge improvement, no more foggy views ruining my morning coffee, haha. Curious if others had similar success or went another route?
Nice move on the argon-filled windows, sounds like a solid upgrade. I've been dealing with similar fogging issues since moving into my first place up here—didn't realize how annoying condensation could be until I had to wipe down windows every morning. I haven't pulled the trigger on new windows yet, mostly because of budget, but I've been experimenting with a dehumidifier. It helps somewhat, but it's not perfect, especially on colder mornings. Did you notice any difference in insulation or heating bills after switching to argon-filled windows? I'm curious if the investment pays off in energy savings over time, or if it's mostly about comfort and convenience.
"Did you notice any difference in insulation or heating bills after switching to argon-filled windows?"
I've been wondering the same thing myself. Condensation is driving me nuts too, and while the comfort factor alone might justify the upgrade, it'd be nice if it actually saved some cash long-term. Did you track your heating bills before and after? Curious if it's noticeable enough to offset the upfront cost...or if it's mostly just about not having to wipe down windows every morning (which honestly sounds pretty great by itself).
- Switched to argon windows about two years ago.
- Definitely less condensation, mornings are way easier now.
- Heating bills dropped slightly—not huge savings, but noticeable enough over winter months to feel worthwhile.
- Comfort alone made it worth it for me though...
- Heating bills dropped slightly—not huge savings, but noticeable enough over winter months to feel worthwhile.
Glad to hear others had similar experiences. I switched to argon-filled windows last fall, and the difference was noticeable right away. Didn't really track heating bills closely, but the comfort factor alone made it worthwhile—no more wiping down windows every morning. One thing I noticed though, is that the rooms feel quieter now too...maybe it's just me, but has anyone else experienced better sound insulation with these windows?
I've noticed the quieter rooms too, actually. Argon-filled windows tend to have better seals and thicker glass panes, which naturally dampens sound transmission. When I installed mine a couple years back, I didn't even think about noise reduction—just wanted to stop the drafts and condensation. But then one night I realized I wasn't hearing traffic noise nearly as much. It's subtle, but once you notice it, it's hard to ignore how much more peaceful things feel indoors...
Interesting point about the noise reduction, but do you think it's really the argon itself making the difference? I swapped out my old single-pane windows for regular double-pane ones (no argon), and it still got noticeably quieter inside... maybe it's just the extra layer of glass?
"maybe it's just the extra layer of glass?"
Yeah, I'd lean towards that too. When I replaced mine, I went from single-pane to double-pane (argon-filled), and honestly, the noise difference wasn't night-and-day compared to my neighbor's regular double-pane setup. Argon's great for insulation, but sound-wise... probably just the extra glass doing most of the heavy lifting.
Yeah, I'd lean towards that too. When I replaced mine, I went from single-pane to double-pane (argon-filled), and honestly, the noise difference wasn't night-and-day compared to my neighbor's reg...
Yeah, I think you're spot-on about the extra glass doing most of the work. Argon's awesome for thermal insulation, but soundproofing... not so much. Glad you got the fogging sorted though—high altitude can be tricky with window seals!
Yeah, argon's definitely hyped up more than it deserves for soundproofing. When I swapped mine out, I noticed the same thing—double-pane made a difference, but the gas itself...meh. One thing that did help me at altitude was making sure the installer used breather tubes during installation. Without those, pressure differences can mess with your seals pretty quickly, causing fogging and even warping over time. Glad you got yours sorted though; foggy windows drive me nuts.