Totally agree on argon being overrated for soundproofing. Had the same experience when we replaced ours a few years back—didn't notice much difference at all. But those breather tubes you mentioned, that's spot-on advice. We learned the hard way after our first set fogged up badly within a year. Installer came back and redid them properly with tubes, and they've been crystal clear ever since. Living at altitude definitely has its quirks...glad you got yours sorted too!
Interesting to hear your experience with argon too—I always wondered if it was just marketing hype or if I was missing something. Did you notice any thermal benefits at least, or was that also negligible? Glad the breather tubes worked out for you...it's funny how these altitude-specific quirks catch us off guard. Had a similar issue with some skylights fogging up badly—wish I'd known about the tubes back then, would've saved me a headache and a half.
"Glad the breather tubes worked out for you...it's funny how these altitude-specific quirks catch us off guard."
Yeah, it's always something, isn't it? I remember when we first moved up here, I thought I'd done all my homework on altitude adjustments—cooking times, tire pressures, even gardening—but windows and skylights totally slipped my mind. We had a similar issue with argon-filled windows too. Honestly, I didn't notice much difference thermally either. Maybe a tiny bit warmer near the glass on really cold days, but nothing dramatic enough to justify the extra cost in my opinion.
Funny thing is, our neighbors swear by them and insist they feel a noticeable difference. Could be placebo effect or maybe just different house layouts and insulation setups playing tricks on us. Who knows?
Anyway, glad you got your fogging sorted out. Those little quirks can drive you nuts until you figure them out. We ended up replacing a couple of skylights entirely before someone finally mentioned breather tubes to us—wish we'd known sooner too. Live and learn, right?