The provia storms are very good. Price is fine, maybe a hair high if it does not include wrapping, but its a great price if it does. I agree overall with the advice provided so far on replacements vs storms, it really depends on the individual circumstances. It can be hard to justify spending that much without getting he other added benefits of replacements ( ease of cleaning, lower maintenance , potentially enhanced property value, better energy efficiency, etc), however if your existing windows can be reconditioned to the point of operating smoothly and looking good, adding the storm to that can definitely get you pretty close in those areas but with cost savings and maintaining the original integrity of the home. As wow alluded to, you could certainly take those dollars that you save and put them to air sealing , insulation , etc in other areas of he home and increase your energy savings exponentially.

norar il, From your description above, it is obvious you need new replacement windows installed, storm windows removed and discarded and the outside area around the window opening needs to be capped in aluminum and fully caulked. This will greatly help with air infiltration. I think a 100 year old home looks beautiful with new vinyl replacement windows. And they'll save you money on heating and cooling bills. Remember when looking at vinyl replacement windows, make sure the aluminum capping is part of the job. It is here in Northern NJ, not an extra. It is definitely not practical to keep your old storm windows in place. First of all, how would you clean them? The new insulated glass caratridges that come with the new windows have better values. The storms are really in the way of a good installation. Lastly, I believe your house may need insulation. Consider blown in cellulous. It runs about 1.15 per SF of wall area. It's a small investment with real big savings. Food for thought, The PorchGuy Here is a link that might be useful: My Album

Our church has arched top stained glass windows and we need to both protect the windows and insulate the church. I prefer a fixed pane storm window (don't need to open) and prefer vinyl glazing. The window frame could be attached with screws into plastic inserts in the mortar between the bricks and sealed with foam strip insulation around the window frame. In searching for this type of storm window all I see are more exotic aluminum framed ones that are more than we need and expensive.

Thanks. I looked at the windows from inside and out today and appreciate the situation better. The problem window is the center window in a set of 5. The center 3 dont crank open. I just realized the two sashes left and right of center look like a newer mode. The vent is more of a slit very close to the bottom rather than a hole. So I am thinking the old owner had some replaced. Also I see now that the sash from the non cranking newer windows (left and right of center) are actually cranking windows with the cranking hardware removed and add a screws where the latch would pull the window in. The problem window from outside looks like it might be a cranking window with hardware removed also but the inside trim work shows no screws or hint that it might be a cranking window. So I wonder if this older window is just better sealed and traps moisture better. Thoughts? Also are these Pella designer series good windows by todays standards? They are only 16 years old and I see caulk added as outside glazing on many windows. The old owner had Pella service these windows often. Thanks for all the quick replies. This site seems very well monitored. Cheers, Jeff