storm windows?

[Noahbuddy]

"rb" wrote in news:VWHKn.31142$ [e-mail]:

That's what they're for.

[hrhofmann]

Another possibility is to reglaze the windows with thermopane panels, I did that with all my windows. But, if there is any air leakage around the windows, the storm windows will cut down air infiltration.

[Bob F]

When I did it, it made a huge difference.

[rb]

We have single glass windows throughout the house. Darn things are drafty in winter.

I'm thinking of adding storm windows on outside. Idea being that this gives us some "dead" insulation space between the two window panes.

Is going to storm windows a good way to go? Anything better?

[Ed Pawlowski]

Only thing better is ot replace the windows with new. If you don't mind ladder work, you can DIY them and save a bunch of money.

[Jim Elbrecht]

What part of the world do you live in? What is worth doing in NY isn't necessarily worth [money wise] doing in VA.

I'm down to 3 more windows in my once drafty 100yr old house. I'm in NY- so we get some cold weather through the winter. I've been replacing all of the windows over 25 years. All DIY- and really not hard at all. [and all with "new construction" windows-- not just replacement sashes or windows]

In the meantime. . . 25 yr old combinations storms/screens are next to useless. Wooden storms are much better- but less convenient. Inside storms are much easier and sometimes more efficient.

I've used lexan with magnetic strips, sheet plastic with double sided tape, and heavy, insulated drapes. all were more efficient than any outside storms I've used.

But double-glazed, high-r windows, properly installed are the best of all. [and if you're farther north- triple-glazing might be the way to go]

Jim

[Jules Richardson]

We have the same sort of setup; our "inner" windows are all French-style with 8"x10" panes, storm windows are each just two large panes. All wooden frames and surrounds, and they make the place darn cold in winter (northern MN, so temps down to -30)

They're a total pain in the butt. They leak a ton of air around the edges, they're hard to get in place or take out (I'm sure they were fine when new, but years of slight settling of the house and lots of layers of paint doesn't help), and it's a hassle swapping them in and out for the mosquito screens twice a year and storing whichever I take out.

cheers

Jules

[LSMFT]

Certainly it's cost effective. They don't cost much and are easy to install. Make sure you caulk them to make them air tight. If you are not mechanically inclined you may screw up their operation though. I have used them on buildings but I have seen people to stupid to shut them properly, sometimes haveing the bottom pane on the top or the top only half shut. I, my self, removed my storm windows and installed thermopane replacement double glazed windows with screens which I like better. A little more cost. (actually a lot more cost).

[DerbyDad03]

Consider the cost of installing the storms.

Then consider the cost of replacing the windows themselves.

Yes, the cost for new windows will be higher.

Now, consider the inconvenience of opening and closing the windows with the addition of the storms, especially windows that are obstructed by furniture.

I got so sick and tired of trying the raising the storms and lowering the screens on nice days, then reversing the process on cool days or when I wanted the AC on, etc. My storms/screens required 2 hands, making it next to impossible to use them on windows that were obstructed by beds, tables etc.

The huge convenience of being able to open the new windows with a single hand is well worth the cost of new windows, not even considering the overall increased efficiency.

[Cindy Hamilton]

I've never heard of anybody manipulating their storms so frequently. Mostly it's storms down in the fall and storms up in the spring. (The screens are fixed in place. Makes it a royal pain to wash the windows.)

Although if we get a nice day in the winter, we might raise the storms a few inches and blow some fresh air through the house.

We've got fairly old Andersen windows, probably installed some time between 1985 and 1992.

Cindy Hamilton

[DerbyDad03]

re: "I've never heard of anybody manipulating their storms so frequently. Mostly it's storms down in the fall and storms up in the spring."

Can I assume you don't have central air?

[mm]

The only disadvantage I see is that for a while in the spring and fall, the storm windows will be in there when I would like to have my windows open. Or there won't be storm windows when it is still or already cold out. I have storm windows that can be opened and shut from inside the house; they just slide in a channel like the regular windows do in the next channel. But even then I have this problem, just not as much.

So in the late fall, I close the storm windows and then it's a beautiful day or night and I want them open again and I'm too lazy to get out of bed. (I can open and shut the main window by lifting my arms over my head, but not the storm windows.)

(If you have to install the windows from the outside, you're very very unlikely to take them out or put them in more than once for a season change. even more likely to have to do this when it's already cold and uncomfortable, but otoh, it should only take a few minutes.)

In the spring. It gets warm, then it gets cold again but the storm windows are open and the furnace runs more than it would if the storm windows were shut.

The altenrative is reglazing with thermopane, if possible and if there are no other leaks which would remain unplugged, or all new windows where the storm and reg. window open and shut together. Maybe I wasted money by not doing this when I first got here 27 years ago. I'm not sure.

Of course not every window in the house has to be done the same way. In one room, I pretty much don't open the windows, so there is no season change issue.

Also, storm windows keep in the air conditioning also.

[DerbyDad03]

@ Cindy:

This post adds some detail to what I was talking about earlier.

It's those change of season periods, especially here in the northeast where you might want screens during the day, but need the furnace at night. Just this month we've had a high of 85 and a low of 34. Heck, it snowed on Mother's Day!

During AC season there's many a day (and night) when we want the screens, but certainly periods where the AC is desired. Running the AC with the storms up is pretty inefficient.

As I said earlier, being able to open any window - regardless of the obstruction - with one hand, is not only very convenient, it's also an economical advantage.

[ransley]

Anything better? Probably any replacement window will have a better air seal, air infiltration can cost you as much in heat loss as single pane glass looses.

should have work sheets to show you what energy savings different types of window afford and the payback for you. A Blower door test done for about 300 will show you air exchanges per day and where the leaks are. The best would be a triple pane with Low E argon but double pane is common , You realy cant do worse than old window frame technology and the new glasses made save energy winter and summer. You might find work sheets at major glass manufacturers also. Run numbers and see.

[Ed Pawlowski]

"DerbyDad03" wrote

Depends on how anal you want to get. I'm in the northeast also. Kitchen window has the storm down from about the end of December to the beginning of March. After that, some days we want to crack the window open while cooking. Bathroom windows stay down longer, but they are the first two opened come warmer weather. Some windows are never opened during the year so the storms stay down. Yes, it probably does cost me an extra few bucks a year for energy, but I'm willing to pay for convenience.

[aemeijers]

Uh, no, at least in my experience. No storm is completely air-tight, especially after it gets a few years on it. You want weep holes on the bottom so condensation can drain out. Previous Owner of this place potted the northern-exposure storms with silicone. The gap between window and storms had lots of black mold growing. One storm was so bad I had to replace it- the el-cheapo replacement came with preformed weep slots on the bottom edge. After four years, not a trace of mold in the new window.

[DerbyDad03]

re: "Yes, it probably does cost me an extra few bucks a year for energy, but I'm willing to pay for convenience."

As am I...and by replacing my leaky storms and single pane windows I get all the convenience I want *plus* I save money on my energy costs. Eventually my convenience will be free.

[Ron]

[Cindy Hamilton]

No, you cannot. We have central air. However, the storms stay up all summer anyway.

Cindy Hamilton

[DerbyDad03]

So I gotta ask...

Are you throwing money away for the sake of convenience?

Don't take that the wrong way...it's a serious question. Why do you run your AC with the storms up?