Storm windows, there's nothing wrong with the windows you have. For a temporary fix you can use the stretch plastic - not pretty but works.

If for some reason you chose to tear out windows save them for a future owner to restore the house.

Thanks Raye,, but the lower windows do not have storm windows and the plastic sheeting is not feasible.

You have a beautiful house. I hope you can preserve the windows. I had interior storms fabricated for a modern house I once owned that was mostly windows.

Check the insulation in the attic.

Thanks, @houssaon Interior storms seem like a great idea.. I had not considered that.

indow.com is one manufacturer.

I would also recommend restoring them. Depending on the jamb depth, I would go with another interior storm window other than Indow as that unit provides only marginal thermal improvements vs. an actually insulated interior storm.

The quip about a 10 year half life out of vinyl is interesting. I guess I am going to be replacing a WHOLE bunch of windows here seeing as we have installations that are 16 years old. Maybe they are just waiting until they reach "adulthood" at 18 years.

Where do you find that figure of 5% of heat loss is confined to windows?

I’d have an energy audit done 1st.

Beautiful home and you have some excellent suggestions here. Installation of storm windows is key, after you have insulated the home.

We had original windows in the original part of our house and '80s windows in the addition. Guess which windows had to be replaced because of degradation. Yup! The addition windows were all removed and replaced; the original 1825 windows are still going strong.

I'd rent a thermal camera and see where your worst cold zones are ... you might find that the windows aren't the big offender. We had a much bigger thermal issues from improper insulation than losses from inferior windows. I think most Home Depots have rentable FLIR thermal cameras.

As Toddmmn suggests, an Energy Audit is the first thing to do. It would be terrible if you spent money on windows and the house was still cold due to some other issue. Find out the severity of each possible contributor and rank the importance before you decide what to tackle.

Hallett, that link doesn't work.

I’m in the same boat as you. I just ordered an Indow insert for one window to see how I like it. Haven’t received it yet, but so far they’ve been great to work with.

What a beautiful and charming home! I especially like your front door.
As to windows, I agree with the comments above to rehab the originals.

We, too have wood windows. I had the glass in several replaced with newer thermal glass and they no longer are freezing cold when it is cold outside.

However, you can buy interior storm windows that will allow you to keep your original wood windows. I'm not sure how they look from the inside but they certainly could be used in non-public rooms. We haven't acted on this because of Covid-19 precautions, but may do so this summer.

I don’t care if you replace or rehab your windows , but I do wonder what what windows people are putting in when they are only getting 10 years. I have low grade vinyl windows from the 80s in my rental that are still going “strong”.

Ideally a storm window will serve best. When applied to the exterior since it will preserve your old windows. Depending how window operate will determine what.Would be best. Id Get storms with 3/16 glass of possible for noise reduction , if not available get double strength glass. The 1/2 round Windows May be difficult to find a storm window for.

Beautiful house, and you are so lucky to have the original windows. Definitely save them! I think you’ve gotten some really good advice here, starting with an energy audit is a great starting point.

Really nice home.

If you add the (above suggested) interior storm windows, consider choosing windows with hinges so you could have the option to open them rather than need to remove/store them seasonally.

https://www.alibaba.com/pla/Hot-Sale-Cheap-House-Aluminium-Casement_62444716832.html?mark=google_shopping&biz=pla&pcy=US&src=sem_ggl&mark=shopping&cmpgn=11637237034&adgrp=120122066104&locintrst=&locphyscl=9011062&ntwrk=u&device=c&dvcmdl=&position=&pla_adtype=&pla_mrctid=268396722&pla_channel=online&pla_prdid=62444716832&pla_country=US&pla_lang=en&pla_group=298190246337&pla_localcode=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIytSMquGh7wIVhUlyCh1t3gJHEAQYBSABEgLkAfD_BwE#shopping-ads

If you intend to leave storm windows up year round, as long as your windows do not ope outward, you could add a single piece exterior storm window that fits over the entire exterior of the window. You'd need a separate fixed window over the arched window above the downstairs windows.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/storm-window-buying-guide/

This "plastic" for the inside of the windows is an inexpensive but temporary fix that might help you make it through this winter:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Duck-Brand-10-Pack-Clear-Plastic-Shrink-Film-Window-Insulation-Kit-62-in-x-420-in/17133826?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=2753&adid=22222222420&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-293946777986&wl5=9011062&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=17133826&wl13=2753&veh=sem_LIA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsfKb7eGh7wIVw_bICh233QY7EAQYAyABEgLU9vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You put clear plastic over the windows and use a hair dryer to "tighten" any wrinkles. There is a thicker and clearer ( and more expensive) plastic usually available in the sewing/plastic-tablecloth section of Walmart if you prefer that.

It also might help if you add weatherstripping:

https://www.amazon.com/Weatherstrip-Soundproofing-Windproof-Dustproof-Stickiness/dp/B08GJ3YCL1/ref=asc_df_B08GJ3YCL1/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459587772122&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14049259985443211387&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011062&hvtargid=pla-974712603971&psc=1 

Curtains you close at night will do a lot of window insulation. You want them fairly substantial and lined. Airy wisps won't provide much insulation. It's a minor pain to walk around closing all your curtains at night in a big house, but it works. Be careful that heat from an underwindow radiator doesn't rise between the curtain and window.

Storm windows on the outside will help preserve your windows from the weather. You can do a fair bit to tighten the seal of older windows. This old house has some videos.

I have a 100 year old house. The one replacement window isn't any less leaky than the old windows with lousy storms and more leaky than the old windows with well-fitting storms. (The storms are old).

Also look at TOH for general videos about improving energy usage. You can find them on They'll show you what to look for, so you can focus your efforts on where it will be the most effective.

Lastly, when did your furnace last get serviced. We lived in a house that drank heating oil at a phenomenal rate. The oil consumption was cut in half after the furnace was properly serviced.

Do the casement windows swing in or out? Are some fixed? Show the other sides of the house. and some close ups of the windows inside and out.

The way to solve this kind of problem is to define the it well before looking for solutions.

Have someone check attic insulation and perhaps do blower door test which finds air leaks up into attic and elsewhere around the house - ie energy audit. Hot air rising/leaking into attic creates an updraft effect which pulls cold air in from lower levels and so sealing all these other gaps if any exist is going to be a huge improvement. I even noticed that less sound was getting into the house from outside. Now, the only drafts we get is around the wood framing around windows and doors - but only when it is very WINDY and the wind is pushing the air in. If its not windy, the cold air stays outside! We could address this by caulking around the exterior wood framiing and/or perhaps opening up the casing and sealing all the joints and air leaks..... but havent gotten to it. In the meantime thermal curtains work just fine!!

People tend to fixate on the windows when these other factors have as much of an impact, if not more so.

The shutters seem inappropriate and distracting from the elegant lines and style of this home...if for some reason you love them...painting them white would help..

Agree with btydrvn, are those the stick-on style shutters, if so they aren't original. Hard to tell in the picture but they do appear too large to close properly.

All of the above, but check our furnace, too. A lot of heat goes to hot water heaters used all the time. Agree with heat assessment. Your power company might do it for free?

We had an energy audit done, and followed through with the attic sealing recommendation.

Well worth it in the long run. The utility company provided a long list of contractors who were "certified" to do the project. We hired one based on numerous 5 star reviews. BUT, just because the company is "certified", does NOT mean the crew they send to your house will be!

After watching them work for several hours, it was obvious they were clueless. In the end, we had to send a certified letter telling the company they would be paid ONLY after a competent crew redid the work, and it was checked by the utility company with infrared cameras.

Imagine my surprise when you tell me that a government program throwing money at a given industry doesn't produce the best results.

@Windows on Washington Ltd, yes that is absolutely true! But you do not want to get me started!

I absolutely agree with the previous recommendations you've received so far. My home is almost the same age as yours with original wood windows, although I have storms. I live in Minnesota so definitely a cold climate as well. I would get the audit first and look into insulation before I would replace the windows. Insulation will likely cost a lot less and save you more $$ in the long run but see what the audit recommends. When I had it done, they gave me very specific recommendations in order.

+1. Absolutely restore and re-storm those windows. They are too pretty to yank out. You'll never find wood that is of that quality again.