So who's punted up the winter storm windows yet?

We've just taken out the AC and window fans and put up a few of the storm windows, doing the rest next week...well trying to hold out for a bit longer

Sorry Bob, storm season's almost over....

What's a storm window?

In older houses with wooden sash windows, it's an "extra" window that fits over the outside of the sash window. Usually they hang on hooks and nails. Before A/C it was kind of a seasonal duty to switch from the summer "screens" to the winter "glass". Our last house was like this. It was a real PITA.

In most homes, you have a main, thick, window, and then on the outside there is a screen so in the Summer you can open the windows without the bugs flying into your house.

However, the screen is pretty much worthless in winter, so many homes have a 'storm window' which is another sheet of glass or plexiglass that replaces / slides over the screen and helps to seal the house.

Some houses also have 'storm shutters' which are closed over the windows during big storms to prevent against debris breaking the window, but by and large the functional use of shutters has been replaced by the decorative use.

edit: Here is a picture of someone adding one (on the inside) to help cut their heating expenses

http://www.bostoniaindustries.com/html/system_ii.html

OK thank you. Can't say I've noticed them before...I will have to take a closer look at the windows in older houses in the coming months.

That annoys me to no end, I hate fake stuff.... I know they're fake and don't even open or close, but seeing shutters on houses that when closed wouldn't even cover the window just angers me.

calm down, its just decorative! miserable sod

that's the jobby, though most windows have double rails so you can slide the storm windows up and the screens down, and then switch over in the winter.

It's a PITA as it makes it so much more of a hassle to open a window in winter, but as you hardly ever end up doing that, I guess you live with it. Does help keep the cold out and save on some oil in the winter though.

Man, I haven't had to put up storm windows in 31 years. Now we have new double instulated windows and screens and never have to bother with storm windows again. I know you guys live in a private house so you are not as fortunate as some of us

I was in the Berkshires this weekend and it wasn't all that cold as yet. I would hold off until at least the second week of November if not after Thanksgiving myself.

I don't like fake masonry either...

That's what I'm hoping to do, but it dipped below freezing around here last night, so the AC and stuff had to go...only done the storm windows for a couple of the rooms, it's a slow and annoying process...but I was tempted to get more done after this morning

I used to have them in my house, but I soon decided it was too dodgy going up a ladder carrying a full size piece of framed glass and then leaning back to get the angle to hook it on the brackets. They were custom fit so I had to sort them out first. I gradually replaced them with "Triple Track" storms. The most difficult first.

Now I've moved it's all that sandwich glass stuff.

What's winter?