Yeah, learned this lesson myself too. Thought the sales guy was just upselling me on their "premium installation," but turns out he had a point. Somet...

Haha, straightforward my foot... I swear there's some secret handshake or something. Last time I tried, ended up using half a roll of paper towels jus...

Yeah, silicone can be finicky like that. I've always wondered if something like weatherstripping tape might be easier—anyone tried it long-term? Curio...

Yeah, sealing gaps can really help. I tried those thick curtains too, thinking they'd magically mute the city chaos... nope. Ended up stuffing weather...

Had a similar experience myself—not with Kolbes specifically, but yeah, installation makes or breaks it. I went mid-range on windows thinking I'd save...

I’m in Gulfport (south Pinellas) in an older 1950s concrete block house. We replaced our old crank windows with new vinyl double-pane ones. It’s only ...

Absolutely agree with everyone above. This has been one of the best discussions I've seen in this forum. Big thanks to the OP for starting it and to a...

I'm in West Tampa and had a major noise issue. Window replacement was a game changer here as well.

Honestly, caulk's probably your best bet here. Weather stripping's more for drafts around moving parts like doors or windows that open. Caulk seals up...

One last note on HELOCs: even if you open one, you don't have to use it all. Some people open a HELOC as a backup. If the contractor 0% fell through f...