Interesting you mention the sweating with aluminum frames—I had the same issue in my old place, and it drove me nuts. I do agree vinyl holds up better...

I’ve had similar luck with the shrink film—it’s surprisingly sturdy if you really get the edges sealed tight. It’s true about the aesthetics, though. ...

That’s the truth. I ran into almost the same thing with my ‘52 ranch—nothing in that place is square, and the original window openings were more “sugg...

That’s a win right there. Honestly, I’d take a grumpy contractor over a freezing living room any day. I did my own install last winter—Andersen 400s, ...

That lines up with my experience too—no need to go overboard if your impact glass is legit and the framing’s solid. I did all the main windows on the ...

Yeah, passive films are definitely underrated. Installed one on my south-facing windows a couple years back—installation was straightforward, and they...

Rope caulk definitely deserves more attention. I first used it about five years ago when I was renovating an older home with original wooden windows—b...

Good point about weather stripping—I've found it surprisingly effective myself, especially for drafts. In my experience, caulk is great for sealing st...

You raise a valid point about resale value. From my experience, buyers do appreciate energy-efficient upgrades, but it really depends on your local ho...

Matching stains can definitely test your patience, especially with older wood that's aged unevenly. I've found that sometimes mixing two shades gets c...