Totally agree with your approach—restoration often beats replacement, especially in older homes. I've done similar projects, and it's amazing how much life you can breathe back into original windows with some patience and elbow grease. One tip I'd add: carefully sealing around the storm windows makes a huge difference in drafts and comfort. Glad to hear you're seeing noticeable energy savings...definitely validates the extra effort involved.
Couldn't agree more about sealing around storm windows—it's one of those small details that really pays off. I've tackled a few older homes myself, and it's always surprising how much difference a thorough caulking job makes. One thing I'd add from experience: don't underestimate the value of weatherstripping the window sashes themselves. Even if you've sealed around the storms, drafts can still sneak through gaps between the sash and frame. A good silicone or foam weatherstrip can cut down on those sneaky breezes.
Also, speaking of wrapping your house up like a sweater (love that analogy, btw), insulation in the attic is another biggie. I once spent an entire weekend crawling around my attic laying down extra layers of cellulose insulation—itchy, dusty work, but man, did it pay off in comfort and energy bills. Felt like I was literally tucking my house in for winter.
One minor disagreement though: restoration isn't always the best route if your windows are seriously warped or rotted out. I've seen some cases where replacement with quality wood replicas or even fiberglass windows made more sense long-term. But yeah, if they're structurally sound, restoration is usually worth the elbow grease.
Anyway, glad to hear you're seeing results already...makes all those weekends spent scraping paint and sealing cracks feel justified, doesn't it?
"Felt like I was literally tucking my house in for winter."
Haha, exactly how I felt when I did mine. But gotta say, attic insulation was way less itchy than crawling under the porch sealing gaps—found spiders down there big enough to charge me rent...
"attic insulation was way less itchy than crawling under the porch sealing gaps"
Lucky you—I tackled attic insulation last weekend, and even with protective gear, I felt itchy for days after. But agreed about sealing gaps underneath; spiders aside, it's a tight squeeze down there. Found that using expanding foam spray helped me reach tricky spots without too much crawling around. Just gotta watch out—it expands more than you'd expect...
"Just gotta watch out—it expands more than you'd expect..."
Haha, learned that one the hard way myself. Thought I'd neatly sealed a gap near the kitchen plumbing, only to come back an hour later and find foam oozing out like some weird alien growth. Took forever to trim it back neatly.
But honestly, kudos for tackling the porch crawlspace—tight spaces and spiders aren't exactly my idea of a fun weekend project either. Still, it's totally worth it in the end. Once you've sealed those gaps properly, you'll notice fewer drafts and even lower heating bills. Plus, there's something genuinely satisfying about knowing your house is snug and cozy from top to bottom.
Hang in there; you're doing great work!
