"They disappeared within hours...guess neighbors love a good DIY project!"
Ha, same here. When we replaced ours, I stacked the old windows neatly by the curb with a "free" sign. Figured they'd sit there for days, but nope—gone by dinner. A week later, spotted one of them turned into a mini greenhouse down the street. Pretty cool seeing someone else's creativity at work. Saved me a trip to the dump, too.
That's a smart move, honestly. I usually just break mine down and recycle the glass separately—bit of a hassle but feels responsible. Might try your method next time...less effort and someone gets creative reuse out of it.
• Good call—giving someone else a shot at reusing beats recycling every time.
• I've tried both ways, honestly...donating saves hassle and feels good.
• Might even spot your old windows in someone's greenhouse down the road.
Donating's definitely great, but honestly, I've had decent luck selling old windows online. Doesn't have to be pricey—just enough to offset the cost of new ones. Last year I sold mine cheap, and the buyer was thrilled to get them for a shed they were building. Felt good knowing they got reused, plus I got a little cash back in the budget...win-win if you ask me.
"Donating's definitely great, but honestly, I've had decent luck selling old windows online."
Selling's cool, but honestly, I've found that keeping a couple of old windows around can be surprisingly handy. Last summer, one of mine ended up as a makeshift cold frame for my veggie garden—worked like a charm until the squirrels figured it out. 😂 Plus, you never know when you'll accidentally break one of the new ones installing it (speaking from experience here...).
Keeping old windows around definitely has its perks—especially if you're into gardening or DIY projects. But honestly, I've found that storing them can sometimes become more hassle than it's worth. I kept a few old ones in my garage for a couple of years, thinking they'd come in handy eventually. One did end up being useful when I needed a temporary patch after a storm cracked one of my newer windows. But the others just gathered dust and took up valuable space.
When it comes to budgeting for new windows, I've started factoring in the potential resale value of the old ones. Even if they're not in perfect condition, there's usually someone out there looking for affordable replacements or materials for their own DIY projects. Selling them online has helped offset some of the costs of buying new, energy-efficient windows—which aren't exactly cheap these days.
I do like the cold frame idea though...might have to reconsider my stance on keeping at least one or two around for gardening purposes. Although knowing my luck, I'd probably end up breaking it before the squirrels even got a chance to sabotage me!
I get the appeal of hanging onto old windows—I once kept a couple thinking I'd build a greenhouse. Fast forward three years, and all I had was a dusty garage and no greenhouse in sight. Ended up selling them online, too, and used the cash towards some double-pane windows. Honestly, the energy savings alone made it worth ditching the nostalgia...though I still haven't forgiven the squirrels for chewing through my window screens last summer.
I get the energy savings argument, but honestly, sometimes those old windows have way better craftsmanship than newer ones. I've seen some vintage wooden frames that, with a bit of TLC and weatherstripping, outperform budget double-pane windows. Plus, isn't there something to be said for repairability? Newer windows seem designed to be replaced rather than fixed...though I admit squirrels don't discriminate—they'll chew through anything if they're determined enough.
I had a similar experience when renovating my place. The original wooden windows were solidly built—just needed some careful reglazing and weatherstripping. After restoration, they performed surprisingly well, even compared to mid-range replacements. Sometimes older craftsmanship really does hold up better over time.
"Sometimes older craftsmanship really does hold up better over time."
Yeah, I've seen that too. It's pretty amazing how well some of those older wooden windows were built—solid materials, careful joinery, and all that. But I'm curious, did you notice a significant difference in energy efficiency after restoring them? I've worked on a few older homes where even after reglazing and weatherstripping, the homeowners still felt drafts or noticed higher heating bills. Makes me wonder if it's more about the original quality of the windows or maybe just how thorough the restoration is... or possibly both. Did you do anything special to improve insulation beyond basic weatherstripping?