Doors and Windows - Refurbish wooden windows or go with vinyl?

I live in a farmhouse built in 1873, all of the windows are still original (right down to the wavy glass). We moved in just this past November, prior to us the house was abandoned and vacant for 5 years. We are now refurbishing it.

My question is, Is there a way to make the original wooden windows more energy efficient, right now the wind just seems to blow through the whole house :rolleyes: or is it better to replace everything with modern vinyl windows?

Personally I would rather keep the wooden windows for their character, but we're using WAY too much energy.

The windows are only the tip of the iceberg - you probably have no insulation, no wind wrap (like tyvek),....

The only thing I might recommed that will keep the character of the house are replacement sashes with true divided lights, but they can be pricey. Marvin, and Weathershield make such kits, and possibly others. Storm windows would help some, but would not look right, although wood storms would be OK. Vinyl definitely would not look right. And efforts to make the old windows more energy efficient would take more money than replacement sashes and still not produce the results. One problem I see is those frames are likely not square/plumb. That could make any type replacement sash difficult. You could have custom windows made(Marvin), but if you ever watched This Old House, you know what that can do for the budget.
But as suggested above, there are likely other issues that make the house drafty.

O love refurbishing older houses, but it is heart surgery rather than giving an aspirin. So much has to be addressed in order to make it energy efficient. I hate to do away with original stuff, like your wavy glass windows, but you will have to opt for looks or energy savings. By all means, save the windows, you may have a gold mine. Bill is right on with the vinyl thing. True divided light wooden framed thermopane windows may be the way to go. How much of a restoration do you plan? Will you be removing the interior walls? Rewiring? Replumbing?

I agree with replacing the windows if energy efficiency is the big concern. But rather than vinyl, maybe fiberglass frames. You can paint or stain them to match/contrast, which you can't do with vinyl. Vinyl limits you to either white or tan.

Certainly keep the old windows. If nothing else, the sashes can be made into great hanging shelves.

And yes, the list of upgrades is going to be long. Insulation, house wrap, probably siding, possibly sheetrocking inside once you have the wiring and plumbing upgraded, ...

It'll be a construction zone and a money pit for a while, but well worth it in the end.

The windows are only the tip of the iceberg - you probably have no insulation, no wind wrap (like tyvek),....

Yep, we realize this as well... We have had insulation blown into the walls and attic spaces, the cedar shake siding is rotten and splitting so that is being torn off this coming summer, the house will be wrapped with an insulating wrap and new cedar siding put on.

We are planning on doing the windows at the same time we do the siding, I want to keep the wood ones, the boyfriend wants energy efficient ones. I think that by disassembling, and putting the windows back together I should be able to fix many of the drafts (along with the house wrap)

We have already had the wiring gutted (it was entirely knob and tube), and the plumbing gutted as well... it's been replaced with Pex, and a manifold system.

Here's the house:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b83/hwillm1977/This%20old%20house/SnowFall.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b83/hwillm1977/This%20old%20house/front1.jpg