Drafty windows letting cold air in during winter come from three places: failed weatherstripping and locks that no longer pull the sash tight, gaps around the frame where the old installation was never sealed, or single pane and failed double pane glass that is simply cold. The first two are cheap fixes. The third is replacement, and it is the one that changes your heating bill.
Hold a lit candle or incense stick near the sash on a windy day. Flicker at the meeting rail or the sides means the weatherstripping or lock is done. Flicker at the outer edge of the frame means the gap between window and wall was never foamed, which is common on older installs. No flicker but a cold surface means the glass itself is the problem: fogged double panes have lost their gas fill, and single panes were never insulated to begin with.
Seasonal fixes: new weatherstripping, adjusting the lock so the sash seals, low expansion foam at the frame gap, and interior film for single pane glass. These buy a winter or two.
If most windows in the house fog, rattle or feel cold at the glass, replacement is the spend that lasts. We install Marvin windows, made in Warroad, Minnesota, with proper flashing and foam at the frame so the new unit does not inherit the old draft. Per window cost by city is on our window cost pages, and the free estimate covers the whole house so you can phase it if you want.
A free estimate gets you exact numbers, real samples and an honest recommendation from a veteran owned local contractor.
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