Do you think “the wind is blowing into the house?” If so, I recommend a vaneometer and an IR heat thermometer.

Those tools may help you.

Answering questions from the other thread.

Window Genius,

I vaguely remember the previous owner mentioning he insulated the walls. I will try to reach out to him.

The original window was single pane, true divided light, sash was about an inch thick (sad) protected by very thick layers of paint outside. Paint shut. Some preservationist sites I read say wood windows with properly installed storm window can be as good or outperform energy efficient windows. Was our house one of the rare cases? Or can vinyl window of this quality should outperform even that?

Windows are only part of the package: Insulation in walls, floor, ceiling? High R value for where you live? Seal up cracks?

Regarding the window installation: judging by the age (80) of your house, you probably have vinyl replacement windows. If so, were the pockets that held the old weights for your original DH windows packed with insulation and sealed?

If you answer yes to all of the above, I would seek out an energy auditor and see where the leaks are.

Millworkman,

The windows had sash weight pockets. Were they insulated? I am not sure. I think I saw the pink fiberglass on our driveway, but didn't check on the contractors during the process.

Toddinmn,

Mmmmm that's probably true… I thought of comparing upcoming utility bills 2020 vs 2019, but with whole Covid and people being home all day isn't making it easy.

Yep, you would have been in much better shape to have kept the easily renovated and repairable wood windows. Hope you stored them so that they can be put back in.

Jim Mat,

I don’t feel draft from the windows. There are hairline cracks around new indoor caulking on the inside, maybe these are contributing to air movement. I will look into heat analysis tools. Thank you for the specific tool names.

@East Bay 10

Insulation in walls = not sure, floor = partially, ceiling/attic = yes

Yes, these are vinyl replacement windows. Were old weight pockets insulated? Installation was done by a window company so I would like to believe this was done too. A little skeptical now because they had other issues.

For North East/south of Albany U-0.25/R-4 is probably good enough. But maybe this was not good enough for a poorly insulated 80 year old house.

Hairline cracks are developing around all the new windows — I will start from here then seek energy audit or heat analysis.

@User,

Sadly they were thrown out. Had I known that some historical window restorers take these, I would have recycled them. Government lead paint guideline states the old windows are hazardous, so I figured they cannot be salvaged.

Windows on Washington Ltd,

Thank you for explaining window science in layman’s term. It makes sense!

Thanks to everyone who posted advice and shared knowledge. All were really helpful.

:-)

I will spend this winter as is, see how it feels, then if it still feels cold will seek an energy audit or heat analysis. Thanks again all!

@Neenah - you can rent a thermal camera at Home Depot, and see exactly where the cold air is coming into your home.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/rental/FLIR-COMMERCIAL-SYSTEMS-INC-Thermal-Camera-FLIR-i7/309006981

Neenah - OLD WINDOWS ARE NOT HAZARDOUS!!!

Please leave old houses to those that love them! If your just going to throw the good stuff away buy a new house. Then you can have all the open concept, cheap windows and stainless steel appliances you want.

@M Miller,

Had no idea that thermal camera was available through Home Depot! That will save me $300. Thank you.

@User

I won’t say old windows are hazardous as long as you know how to deal with them. Though lead paint information sites out there seem to have a louder voice on Google than window restoration info.

In the past I reached out to local historic preservation department, preservation architecture company etc for the best repair method but none returned my emails. Angie's List was my best bet. Raye Smithe, if someone you know buys an old house, please offer them your resources so they would know where to go and what to do to preserve their old house. They will appreciate it.

it will be great if you can help on my future questions for restoring the rest of the house (like heat radiator paint peeling. :-)

Neenah - I own an old house so understand the lead and asbestos issues. Do you live in/near a city, or in an area with many old homes? If so, look for vendors/contractors who specialize in those types of homes. In my city there are a couple of window/door businesses that specialize in rehab, but also do replacement. There are also quite a few painting companies and remodeling contractors that do a lot of work in old homes. These vendors know what they're doing, understand the environmental laws and take all necessary precautions. See if you can find them as you continue to work on your home. If you have Nextdoor in your area, it's a good way to query neighbors with similar homes for recommendations. Good luck!

@einportlandor

Thanks for the search tips.

There are old houses around us and our town is fairly close to a city. Good sign.

When searching for a specialist, I think it makes a big difference when you KNOW they are out there. I will be able to search with confidence finding the right people for future projects.