[Bhavesh]

The house was built circa 1914.

My best description of the windows is:
-they're pretty tall (~6' or more)
-about 3' wide
-have big panes
-have wood frames
-have ropes tied into the top, that move up and down when you move the window (do they keep it from sliding back down?)

The windows slide up and down just fine, but they do so while bouncing back and forth inside the frame. There's ~1/4" gap between the window and the frame; and ~1/2" gap between the windows when it's fully closed.

Do I just stuff it with weatherstripping? Tape off all the corners?

Is there any kind of way I can seal the window off with a clear, insulated plastic?

[stevecbr900rr]

New windows...or the plastic on the inside will work. They sell the kits in Home blow. The only tool you will need is a blow dryer...when you get the kit you'll know what i mean.

[Ecooke21]

it sounds like you have a problem there.. you shouldnt have 1/2" gaps anywhere on a window.. Can you stick your fingers between the sashes to the weather?

on older double hung windows, there is usaully a runner, that goes verticaly between the windows. Sometimes these runners get loose, and allow the window to "rattle" back and forth.. Are the sashes actualy narrower than the frame/jambs? You can pick up a set of clips from a hardware store that use tension to hold the sashes in place.. I wish I cpuld remember the name.. they screw to the sides of the sash. they llok like leaf springs to a truck.. If that doesnt solve your problem, your windows may need to be replaced..

[Ecooke21]

BTW, those ropes hold weights(behind the jambs) if you remove the two screws on the jamb it will expose the cavity where the weights are. the weights help the windows stay up..

[Currently]

If you don't want to replace with new windows, you can always get
a sheet of plywood and cover the whole thing up.

The answer to your question is it would cost almost the price of a new
window to get it professionally rebuilt and it still would not have the
energy conservation features of a new window when done.

In other words, you are throwing good money at a bad investment.

[beet]

unlkess your doing a restore get a new window!

[Currently]

And restores are just as expensive as new windows.
Plus they still leak a lot of heat.

You living in a museum or a home?

[SSearchVT]

If the gaps are really as big as you say, you can take out the old jams (the wood spines inside the frame) and cut oversized ones out of new wood. Use the old ones as templates for screw holes, and length. To get some efficiency out of them next winter look at having a glass shop make storm windows for you that would clip into the window sill on the outside of the house. The ropes are for the counterweights in pockets. These can be replaced with springs so the pockets can be insulated. Take a look on the This Old House website. Good Luck...

[beet]

Me I live in a home new windows are great insulation nice to. The inside of my place is close to new. The out side needs upgrade.

Originally Posted by Currently

And restores are just as expensive as new windows.
Plus they still leak a lot of heat.

You living in a museum or a home?

[ftrain]

Do you have any pictures on the windows? I live in a historic district and restoring my windows myself. How could you pull out historic windows and replace them with new windows? Talk about pissing money away and making the house worth less.

[Currently]

Originally Posted by ftrain

Do you have any pictures on the windows? I live in a historic district and restoring my windows myself. How could you pull out historic windows and replace them with new windows? Talk about pissing money away and making the house worth less.

Pissing money away will be in a year or two when heating oil will be 4 bucks a gallon and natural gas will be triple what it is today.

If you want to live in a museum, I guarantee you that when the oil prices escalate, you won't get a dime for those expensive restores, if you can sell
the house at all.