"noise tends to travel horizontally, so elevating the vent position can help reduce street sounds noticeably."
Interesting point—I hadn't thought about noise direction before. We just moved into our first place and noticed the traffic noise right away. Ended up installing insulated windows (ouch, my wallet...) and added some heavy curtains. Helped a ton with drafts and noise, but now I'm curious about repositioning vents too. Might have to give that a shot next spring when we can open things up again.
Interesting idea, but honestly, vent placement seems like it'd have minimal impact compared to good insulation and windows. Did you notice a big difference with the curtains alone, or was it mostly the windows doing the heavy lifting?
"Interesting idea, but honestly, vent placement seems like it'd have minimal impact compared to good insulation and windows."
I'd generally agree with this—high-quality windows and insulation are definitely the main factors. However, I've found curtains to be surprisingly effective, especially heavy thermal ones. Last winter, I experimented by adding thick curtains to already upgraded windows, and the difference in comfort near the window areas was noticeable. It wasn't dramatic, but it did reduce that subtle chill you sometimes feel near glass surfaces. Curious if others have experienced similar subtle improvements?
I've noticed something similar at my place. Upgraded windows made a huge difference, but adding thick curtains was like icing on the cake—especially on those bitter cold nights. Didn't expect much at first, but it really softened that chilly draft near the glass.
Upgraded windows definitely cut down heat loss significantly, but curtains alone might mask rather than solve drafts. Had a similar issue—turned out the window seals weren't properly installed. Reinstalled with proper sealing tape; noticeable improvement overnight. Worth checking your seals just in case...
Had a similar thing happen at my place—thought curtains would do the trick, but nope. Turned out the seals were fine, but the frames themselves had tiny gaps. Caulked those up and felt warmer right away... definitely worth double-checking everything.
"Turned out the seals were fine, but the frames themselves had tiny gaps."
Did you notice drafts mostly on windy days, or was it all the time? Had something similar happen here—thought I was losing my mind checking seals repeatedly. Turns out the installers missed a few spots around the frames. Quick caulk job and suddenly my couch wasn't an ice throne anymore... Did you use regular caulk or something special for colder climates?
Had almost the exact same issue last winter:
- Noticed drafts mostly when the wind kicked up, but it was subtle enough to make me doubt myself at first.
- Spent way too much time obsessing over the window seals, even replaced weather stripping twice before realizing the frames themselves were the culprit.
- Turns out the installers had rushed the job and left tiny gaps around the frame edges. Barely noticeable visually, but definitely noticeable temperature-wise.
- Ended up using a silicone-based caulk specifically rated for colder climates—regular stuff tends to crack or shrink in freezing temps.
- Also added some foam backer rod in a couple of spots where gaps were slightly larger; that helped a ton.
Honestly, it's worth spending a bit extra on cold-weather-rated materials if you're dealing with serious winters. Learned that lesson after my first fix failed halfway through January...
"Ended up using a silicone-based caulk specifically rated for colder climates—regular stuff tends to crack or shrink in freezing temps."
Silicone-based caulk is solid advice, but I've found polyurethane sealants to hold up even better in extreme cold. Bit trickier to apply neatly, but durability-wise, they've saved me from redoing jobs mid-winter...
Have you noticed any difference in how polyurethane holds up over multiple winters compared to silicone? I've mostly stuck with silicone myself, but now you've got me curious about polyurethane. I agree though, neat application can be a bit of a pain...but hey, if it saves you from freezing your fingers off redoing the job mid-January, sounds worth the extra effort. Thanks for sharing your experience—always good to hear what's working for others.