Window Efficiency

by Nick
(St.Louis MO)

I've got a 70 year old home that has the original leaded stained glass windows...They look great and really add to the character of the house, however I might as well have a hole in the wall! Is there anyway that I can make them more efficient? I also have storm windows on the outside but that doesn't seem to help much.

Answer

Hi Nick,

You need to have someone from a local stained glass business have a look at them. They will be able to give you the advice you need. The reason I say that is because without seeing the windows it's impossible to diagnose the problem.

I can give you some probables, but nothing concrete. If they are 70 years old, some of the putty may have fallen out from around the lead which would allow cold air to come in around the individual pieces of glass. In 70 years the frames may have warped, so the windows no longer fit tightly in the frames. If there is any cracked glass, that could be the problem. It could be a simple as the storm windows not forming a tight seal, especially if they're old.

That's about all I can come up with. I do hope you can get the problem fixed. Living in a cold house is not pleasant.