My house still has its 1910s wood windows. Storms or new windows?

If the sashes work and the wood is sound, storms are usually the cheaper fix. The National Park Service rates a single-glazed wood window at a U-value of 0.88 to 0.99 and the same window with a storm at 0.44 to 0.49. ENERGY STAR advises against storms over rotted or broken windows; repair or replace those first.

Can I keep opening my windows in summer with exterior storms on?

Yes, with a triple-track storm. Its two glass panels and half screen ride in separate tracks and move independently, so you can open the window to the screen when the weather turns warm. A fixed storm panel can't open, which ENERGY STAR warns against in bedrooms where the window may need to work as an emergency exit.

We rent the second floor. Do interior storm inserts work for tenants?

They can, because inserts mount inside the frame and leave the exterior alone. The catch is moisture. The National Park Service notes that damp indoor air can get past an interior storm and condense on the cold outer window, so the insert should seal tightly while the prime window keeps some ventilation. Check sills for water in the first winter.

Are storms worth it over the double-pane windows we put in years ago?

Less so. ENERGY STAR says low-E storms save the most over single-pane glass without a low-E coating. Over clear double-pane glass they still save energy, but the payback is longer. If the double-pane units are fogging, new sealed glass or new windows may be the better spend.

Will a storm window cut street noise on a busy road?

Somewhat. ENERGY STAR lists noise reduction as a side benefit of adding a storm window, since it adds a second layer of glass and an air gap. Laminated glass, sold for storm windows too, has a plastic layer that cuts more sound, at about $150 to $400 per unit.

Storm Windows in Lowell, MA

Typical cost: most installed storm windows run about $260 to $450 each in national May 2026 estimates.
Unit price by type: roughly $100 to $300 for an interior storm, $100 to $400 for an exterior one; low-E glass units start near $125.
Labor: about $70 to $125 per window on top of the unit.
Payback: low-E storms over single-pane clear glass save about $350 a year (about 10%) on national average heating and cooling bills, paying back their extra cost in about 3 years.

Lowell Window Replacement takes your call and forwards it to an independent installer who works in Lowell, at no charge to you. Storm windows go over the windows you already have, inside or out, so the original sash and trim stay put.

Storm Window Types: Exterior, Interior and Low-E

White aluminum triple-track storm windows mounted over old wood double-hung windows on a gray triple-decker in autumn

Triple-Track Exterior Storm Windows

A triple-track storm sits outside the prime window. Its two glass panels and a half screen each ride in their own track and move independently, so the window can open for air in summer and close up in winter. It's made to go over a double-hung. National cost data prices the unit like this:

Exterior storm unit: about $100 to $400.
Triple-track model: about $150 to $400.
Custom-made aluminum frame (materials): about $290 to $520, against $115 to $210 for a stock size.

An exterior storm also keeps weather off the old sash. The National Park Service calls them reversible and suggests a frame color that matches the trim, avoiding bare, unfinished aluminum.

Clear interior storm insert with a slim white frame pressed into the inside of an old painted wood window, winter light

Interior Storm Window Inserts

Interior storms fit inside the window frame, so the outside of the house looks the same, which the National Park Service counts as their main appeal. National cost data puts an interior unit at about $100 to $300. The trade-off is condensation. Moist indoor air that gets past a loose insert can condense on the cold prime window and rot the sill. The insert should seal tightly, while the prime window keeps some ventilation.

Close view of a low-E glass storm window with a faint coating tint over an old wooden sash, frost on the lawn outside

Low-E Storm Windows

A low-E storm has a thin, nearly invisible coating that keeps more heat inside in winter. ENERGY STAR certifies storm windows by climate zone, and each certified unit carries a label with a zone map. Its national estimates give the savings:

Over single-pane clear glass with no storm: about $350 a year, about 10% of heating and cooling costs.
Replacing old clear storms with low-E: about $50 more a year, about 2%.
Payback: about 3 years on the extra cost of the low-E unit.

ENERGY STAR's figures leave out the savings from reduced air leakage, which vary from house to house. A low-E storm unit runs about $125 to $400 in national data. For the coatings and labels on primary windows, see energy-efficient windows.

Wood double-hung window with wavy old glass behind a painted storm window frame on a cape with white clapboards

Storm Windows Over Old Wood Double-Hungs

This is the most common reason to buy storms here. Plenty of prewar Lowell houses still have their first wood sashes. The National Park Service puts a single-glazed wood window at a U-value of 0.88 to 0.99. Adding a storm brings it to 0.44 to 0.49, and the original window stays. A storm works best over a prime window that opens, closes and isn't rotted. If the sash is falling apart, fix it first with sash replacement or a sill repair.

Installer seen from behind pressing a new white double-hung window into an old painted wood frame, with a level on the sill and shims and a caulk gun on a drop cloth

Why Lowell homeowners call Lowell Window Replacement

One independent window contractor gets your request
Ask for the HIC number: MA contracts must show it
Written contract on any job over $1,000
The call and the referral are free

Storm Window Cost: What Moves the Price

National 2026 estimates put a typical installed storm at about $260 to $450. One cost guide puts a set of eight at $2,090 on average. What moves a single quote:

Stock or custom size
old openings are rarely standard; a custom aluminum frame costs about 2.5 times a stock one in materials.
Glass
clear glass is cheapest; low-E, laminated, tempered and double-pane storm glass sit around $125 to $400 per unit.
Frame material
vinyl frames cost least, then aluminum, then wood.
Labor
about $70 to $125 per window.
Later glass repair
replacing broken glass in a storm runs about $150 to $400 per window.

Ask for the unit's lead time in writing, since custom sizes are made to order.

What to Check Before Storms Go On a Lowell House

Weep holes
An exterior storm needs weep holes or a gap at the bottom so water can drain from between the two windows. ENERGY STAR won't certify exterior storms without them.
Bedroom windows
Match the storm to the prime window: an operable storm over an operable sash, so a bedroom window still opens as an emergency exit.
Metal prime windows
Over aluminum or steel windows, ask for thermal breaks between the storm frame and the old frame, or the metal carries the cold straight through.
Historic districts
ENERGY STAR advises checking local preservation rules first. Lowell homes inside a review district go through Historic Board review before exterior changes.
Lead paint
Mounting a storm means drilling and scraping painted trim, so on a pre-1978 house ask whether the crew follows lead-safe practices.