Storm Window Installation and Replacement
NFRC's consumer guide puts it simply: storm windows cut air leakage and add insulating value to the windows you already have. They go on the outside or the inside, and they can be permanent or seasonal.
Exterior Triple-Track Aluminum Storm Windows
The triple-track is the familiar exterior storm: an aluminum frame with three channels holding an upper glass panel, a lower glass panel and a half screen. In summer you raise the lower glass and the screen does the work. In winter both glass panels close. Fixr lists triple-track units at $150 to $400 before installation.
Two details separate a good install from a poor one. First, exterior storms must not be sealed tight: NFRC notes they need weep holes so moist air and water trapped between the storm and the window can escape, and ENERGY STAR won't certify exterior storms without them. So the bottom edge stays uncaulked. Second, over metal-framed primary windows, ENERGY STAR says thermal breaks between the aluminum storm and the old frame matter, or the cold travels straight through.
Interior Storm Window Inserts
Interior storms fit inside the room, pressed or clipped into the window frame. NFRC notes they're easier to install and remove for ventilation or cleaning, which suits upper floors, condos with exterior rules, and houses where you want the outside to look untouched. Fixr puts interior units at $100 to $300.
There's a catch the National Park Service spells out. With an interior storm, the cold layer is now your original window, and moist room air trapped between the two can condense on it and damage the wood. NFRC's guide says the interior side of the pair should be the airtight one, and the primary window should leak a little to the outside. In practice that means a good seal on the insert and no extra caulk on the old sash.
Low-E Storm Windows
A low-E storm has a thin, almost invisible coating on the glass that cuts heat loss. NFRC's guide says a regular storm over a single-pane wood window reduces heat loss by roughly one-third, and a low-E storm by at least half. ENERGY STAR estimates certified low-E storms over single-pane clear glass save about 10% on heating and cooling, around $350 a year on a national average, with the extra cost paid back in about three years. Swapping old clear storms for low-E ones saves about another 2%, ENERGY STAR says.
ENERGY STAR labels each certified storm with a climate map, so check the label covers Michigan. Fixr lists low-E storm units at $125 to $400 before labor. Given Troy's long heating season, we'd pay the low-E premium every time.
Storm Window Repair (Glass, Screens, Gaskets)
Existing aluminum storms are often worth fixing. A cracked panel gets new glass, which HomeGuide lists at $150 to $400 for storm windows nationally. A torn half screen gets new mesh. Fixr puts screen repair for storm units at $41 to $75. Sticking panels and worn sweeps are usually a cleaning-and-parts job, so ask whether parts are still made for your storm's brand. If the frame is bent or the finish is chalking badly, we'd ask for a price on a new unit alongside the repair and compare.
Why Troy homeowners call Troy Windows
- Free in-home measure of every opening
- Written, itemized quote before any work
- Frames and sills checked before a price
- One local window installer, not a call list
- No charge to homeowners for the referral
Storm Window Cost in Troy
National figures from Fixr (updated August 2025), with storm glass from HomeGuide (2026):
| Item | National range |
|---|---|
| Set of 8 storm windows, installed | $1,505 to $2,737 (average $2,090) |
| Prefab storm unit | $66 to $235 |
| Custom storm unit | $164 to $586 |
| Triple-track unit | $150 to $400 |
| Low-E storm unit | $125 to $400 |
| Installation labor, per window | $67 to $123 |
| Storm window glass replacement | $150 to $400 |
Choosing Storm Windows for a Troy Home
Check the windows underneath. ENERGY STAR says storms work best over primary windows in good condition. If the sashes are rotted or won't operate, consider window restoration first, or new windows.
Bedrooms need to open. Storms come in fixed and operable models. ENERGY STAR advises matching the operation of the window underneath, especially in bedrooms where an escape opening is required by code. A fixed storm on a bedroom window defeats the escape route.
Code and paperwork. Michigan's energy code exempts storm windows installed over existing windows, as long as the home's energy use doesn't rise. Licensing works the same way as for screens; see window screen repair.
Lead paint. Storms often go over the oldest windows in the house. Fastening one into a painted frame is minor work, but in a pre-1978 home ask how the installer handles any scraping (lead-safe window replacement has the thresholds).