That’s a fair point about wall vents—if they’re not sealed well, you basically get a wind tunnel when it’s cold out. I’ve had similar issues in my last place, and honestly, I ended up taping over the vent half the winter. Using the bathroom fan longer is underrated though. It’s not a perfect fix, but sometimes the simplest approach really does enough, especially if opening up walls or dropping cash on an HRV just isn’t realistic.
Honestly, taping over vents is what I did too, even though everyone says you “shouldn’t block airflow.” Sometimes you just need a quick fix when it’s freezing and the draft is brutal. I’m with you on the bathroom fan—leaving it on an extra 15-20 minutes after a shower made a way bigger difference for me than I expected. Not perfect, but unless you’re ready to gut your walls or drop thousands, it’s practical. The HRV thing sounds great in theory but who’s got that kind of cash lying around?
Taping over vents—yeah, I’ve seen that trick more times than I can count. Honestly, sometimes you just need to stop the Arctic blast and worry about “proper airflow” later. I do have to throw in, though, if you’ve got old windows (think 80s aluminum sliders), no amount of tape or fan time will totally fix the fog. I swapped out a couple of my worst offenders last fall—just the ones that were basically waterfalls—and it made a bigger difference than I expected. Not cheap, but I did it one window at a time. Sometimes you gotta pick your battles... and your budget.
That’s the truth about those ancient aluminum sliders… I’ve seen more fog inside those than on a cold beer can in July. I’ve tried every shortcut—plastic film, weatherstripping, you name it. But swapping out even one or two makes a world of difference. Not cheap, but neither is running the heater 24/7. Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet, one window at a time.
I hear you on the price, but honestly, after swapping out two of mine, the drafts dropped way down. Did you notice any weird issues with the install? I had to reframe one opening because nothing was square... figures, right?
I had to reframe one opening because nothing was square... figures, right?
- Same here, my house is from the 60s and nothing lines up. Had to shave a bit off one side just to get the new window in.
- Didn’t get any weird issues except the trim didn’t want to go back on flush. Ended up just caulking it and calling it good.
- Noticed the drafts are way better, but now I’m seeing condensation at the bottom corners. Not sure if that’s normal or if I missed something with the install.
- Did you use spray foam or just regular insulation around the frame? I tried both and honestly can’t tell if it made a difference.
Curious if the new windows changed your heating bill much? Mine dropped a little, but maybe I’m expecting too much.
Noticed the drafts are way better, but now I’m seeing condensation at the bottom corners. Not sure if that’s normal or if I missed something with the install.
I ran into the same thing after swapping out my old windows last fall. The drafts are gone (finally), but then I started noticing that little bit of moisture in the corners when it got really cold. From what I’ve read, it’s pretty common, especially if your house is a bit “tight” now and doesn’t breathe like it used to. I guess the humidity just settles on the coldest part of the glass.
On the insulation, I went with spray foam around the frame because everyone online swears by it, but honestly, can’t say it made a massive difference compared to the old fiberglass. Maybe a tiny bump in comfort? Or maybe I just want to believe it did after all the mess.
As for bills, mine dropped a bit, but not as much as I hoped. Maybe 10%? Hard to tell with how much rates keep changing. Still, feels good not having to tape plastic over everything every winter.
The drafts are gone (finally), but then I started noticing that little bit of moisture in the corners when it got really cold.
That’s been my experience too. Once I tightened up the house, condensation showed up in places it never used to. It’s kind of a trade-off—less cold air sneaking in, but now you’ve got to watch the humidity. I ended up running a dehumidifier in the winter, especially after showers or when cooking, and that seemed to help a bit.
About the spray foam, I hear you. I tried both foam and fiberglass on different windows, and honestly, the difference is pretty minor unless you’ve got big gaps. The foam is messier, and I’m not convinced it’s always worth the hassle for just a small boost.
Curious—did you notice any difference in noise reduction with the new windows? Mine cut down on street noise a lot, which was a nice bonus. Just wondering if that’s been the case for others too.
Curious—did you notice any difference in noise reduction with the new windows?
Funny enough, I did. The double-pane units really took the edge off the neighbor’s barking dog—less like living next to a kennel now. Still get a bit of street noise, but nothing like before. Condensation’s a pain though; it’s a balancing act between insulation and ventilation. I’ve seen people go overboard sealing everything up tight, then end up running exhaust fans all winter just to keep the glass clear.
Had a similar situation after swapping out my old single panes last fall. The noise difference was decent, but I’ll admit, I was expecting total silence—didn’t quite get that. As for condensation, yeah, it’s a bit of a circus act. Tried plugging every draft and suddenly the windows were sweating like crazy. Ended up cracking one open just a hair most days, which kinda defeats the purpose but keeps the glass clear. There’s always a catch with these upgrades...