I hear you on the “snare drum” effect—had one memorable weekend where I thought my whole porch was gonna take flight. Ended up taping down every corner and still had to sleep with earplugs. Honestly, for our cabin (just a summer spot, maybe a couple late fall trips), I’ve always stuck with the shrink kits and some old-fashioned rope caulk. Here’s what’s worked for me:
1) Clean the window frame really well—any dust or spiderwebs and the tape won’t stick worth a darn.
2) Put the plastic on as tight as you can, then hit it with a hair dryer to shrink it up. Makes a huge difference.
3) If there are any gaps, I just roll out some rope caulk and press it in. Not fancy, but keeps the drafts out.
Triple glazing does sound nice, but I can’t justify that cost for a place I’m barely in during winter. Maybe if you’re up there full-time or hate messing with plastic every year… otherwise, seems like overkill to me.
I get the logic behind sticking with shrink kits and caulk—cheap, easy, and you don’t feel bad peeling it all off in spring. But honestly, after a few years of wrestling with plastic every fall (and then again when a storm rips it loose), I started wondering if triple glazing was actually worth it just for the peace of mind. Sure, it’s a chunk of change up front, but not having to redo the whole process every year... that’s tempting. Plus, if you ever decide to use the cabin more in the shoulder seasons, you’re already set. Maybe I’m just tired of fighting with tape and hair dryers, but sometimes I think paying once and being done has its perks.
I totally get where you’re coming from. I’ve only been in my place a couple years, but the shrink film routine already feels old. Last winter, I spent a Saturday fighting with the plastic on a windy day—ended up with more tape on my hands than the window. And yeah, it’s cheap, but I can’t help thinking about all that plastic waste every year.
That said, I’m still kind of on the fence about triple glazing. The upfront cost is no joke, especially if you’ve got a bunch of windows. I asked around at the local hardware store and the installer basically said it’ll pay off “eventually,” but couldn’t say when. That’s not super reassuring.
But not having to mess with it every fall does sound pretty good. Plus, I hate that cold drafty feeling in the mornings. I guess my only real hesitation is whether it’s worth it if you’re only out there a few weekends each winter. If you’re using the cabin more, it starts to make sense. Otherwise, I keep telling myself I’ll just tough it out one more year... then curse myself in November.
- Triple glazing’s great for comfort, but yeah, it’s pricey.
- If you’re only there on weekends, the payback is slow. Most folks I’ve worked for in your situation just stick with good weatherstripping and maybe swap out the worst windows over time.
- Shrink film is a pain—been there, fought that battle with a hair dryer and a lot of cursing.
- If drafts are bugging you, even just adding some heavy curtains can help a ton (and you don’t have to peel tape off your fingers).
- Honestly, unless you’re planning to spend way more time out there, I’d probably tough it out too. Maybe treat yourself to one good window as a test run next year?
Had a client swap out just one old drafty window in their weekend place, and honestly, the difference was night and day for that one room. Rest of the cabin still felt chilly though. Curious—are your current windows actually shot, or just a bit leaky? Sometimes it’s not worth going all-in if they’re mostly solid.
Curious—are your current windows actually shot, or just a bit leaky? Sometimes it’s not worth going all-in if they’re mostly solid.
That’s the big question, honestly. I’ve done the “swap out one window” thing before too, and yeah, it’s wild how much of a difference it makes in just that one room. But if the rest of the cabin still feels chilly, it makes me wonder how much heat is escaping elsewhere—walls, floors, maybe even gaps around doors? Sometimes those little drafts add up way more than you’d think.
Are your windows old single panes with rotting frames, or just letting in a bit of air here and there? If it’s just minor leaks, I’ve had good luck with weatherstripping and those shrink-wrap kits until I was ready to do a bigger upgrade. Triple-pane is nice but can get pricey fast, especially for a spot you’re not in year-round.
I’d probably start by figuring out where the worst drafts are and tackling those first. No shame in taking it one step at a time. Anyone else find that sometimes just fixing the obvious trouble spots made more difference than a full overhaul?
I get where you’re coming from. Honestly, I’ve found that chasing down the worst drafts first can save a lot of headache—and cash. No point in going all-out on triple-pane if the real problem is just a couple of leaky spots or a door that doesn’t seal right. I did the weatherstripping thing on my last place and it made way more difference than I expected, especially for what it cost.
If your windows aren’t falling apart, I’d say patch up what you can and see how much better it feels before shelling out for new glass everywhere. Sometimes it’s surprising—just fixing a few trouble spots makes the whole space feel cozier. Not saying triple-pane isn’t nice, but if you’re not living there full-time, seems like overkill unless you’re really losing heat through the glass itself.
You’re definitely not alone in taking it step by step... no shame in that at all.
Totally agree with this:
No point in going all-out on triple-pane if the real problem is just a couple of leaky spots or a door that doesn’t seal right.
- Air sealing is almost always the best bang for your buck. I’ve seen $30 worth of foam and weatherstripping drop heating bills more than new windows.
- Triple-pane helps, but only if you’ve already tackled the obvious leaks and insulation gaps.
- If you’re not there much, payback on fancy windows is super slow.
Curious—what’s your climate like? If you’re in a windy or really cold spot, sometimes the comfort upgrade from better windows is worth it, even if the energy savings aren’t huge.
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually went for triple-pane in my place up north, even before sealing every last crack. Maybe not the most logical order, but the difference in how quiet and cozy it felt was wild—especially with the wind howling outside. Energy bills didn’t drop as much as I hoped, but just sitting by the window with no draft made it feel worth it. Guess it depends if you’re after comfort or just savings.
That’s interesting—you noticed more comfort than energy savings? I’ve been debating the order myself. Did you ever seal up the cracks later, and if so, did it make a noticeable difference on top of the triple-pane? I’m trying to figure out if it’s smarter to invest in windows first for the comfort factor, or if I’d regret not tightening up the whole cabin envelope beforehand. Also, was installation a pain in your older place?