Windows play a crucial role in functionality and aesthetics of a structure, whether it is residential or commercial. However, despite its practical importance, it remains to be one of the most neglected elements.
As a homeowner looking to maintain the structural integrity of your home for a longer time, it’s highly advisable that you pay attention to the state of your windows, keep them in good shape, and take drastic actions such as window replacement if it becomes necessary. Ideally, of course, you would want to be as cost-efficient as possible about maintaining your property. For that, here are some tips you can find helpful.
Maintenance
The first thing you need to do to ensure a good upkeep of your windows is to give them a regular inspection. People mostly just look through windows, but not necessarily at them. It’s a missed opportunity of keeping them in great shape. With regular inspection, you can identify early on if there are problem areas, particularly with the frame and the sash.
Rotting Material
Wooden frames for windows are highly common because of their ease of installation and known durability. However, wood is also vulnerable to rot and mold, which can eventually affect its quality. Especially for double or triple-paned windows, this may not be immediately noticeable, and so could just become worse over time without you knowing it. By the time the problem manifests itself, it would have been already too late and there’s nothing left to do but to get a costly replacement.
Rotting materials are usually caused by moisture, which consequently comes in if there is a failed seal in the frame. Once this happens, a domino effect of sorts occurs, which then ultimately leads to a compromised insulation for your home’s interior. It’s not just mold that you should look out for when moisture is around, but also the sunlight. See, the heat of the sun can dry up the moisture, which is great, but that area previously exposed to moisture would have already become dried and brittle. Thus, it becomes a lot more vulnerable to cracking and disintegrating.
Faulty Sealing
As mentioned above, windows are integral to the insulation of your home’s interior. This is not just a matter of allowing air in and out for improved circulation though. Insulation has a lot to do as well with your energy consumption and savings. If you want to make sure you’re being energy efficient, one good way is to make sure your window sealing is in tiptop shape.
Check the sides and corners of the window frame, and try to get a feel if there is any draft coming through; there should be none. In case there is, strip off the worn out rubber seals and replace it with a new one. Just strip the entire thing off instead of doing it by sections to make sure you get everything covered. With a brand new sealing in place, your window can be better protected against moisture and leaks.
Replace Faulty Parts
It’s not just metal frames that can suffer from rust and corrosion but also the hinges and other mechanisms. If you find it difficult to open your window, check if there is anything obstructing the hinges or the sliders. Sometimes, debris like twigs and stones can prevent windows from opening. If you find some of the mechanisms rusted, oil it up and see if it improves. However, if the issue persists, you might need to consider getting it replaced immediately.
Re-Paint
Coating your windows with paint is good for additional protection against wear and tear. Every three or four years should be great for both wooden and metal frames. Apart from the protection, it also affords them a cleaner and fresher look, which can only contribute to its aesthetic. Just take note that if you are to undertake this project on your own that you shouldn’t paint over the moving parts of the window. Otherwise, the paint will dry up and harden, thus getting the window stuck. The same goes for shut windows. Therefore, make sure to paint the windows while it is open.
When to Replace
Having to deal with repairs on your house can be tedious and stressful, however it’s something that you should pay attention to if you don’t want to spend more for worse damages. Here are some of the telltale signs you’d want to keep an eye out for to determine if it’s time to call the pros and take out the old to get in the new.
Higher Energy Costs
If your electric bill has been somewhat mysteriously rising for no apparent reason—no electricity use or activities out of the ordinary—then you may be ignoring the simplest and most basic answer: your windows. Old windows, in particular, are vulnerable to wear and tear such that it loses its efficiency that it used to have when it was brand new. This includes its ability to keep the interior well insulated and the air properly circulating. Without these, the room temperature can become affected and so also mess up how you use your thermostat. The more effort your machine works when it shouldn’t, the higher your energy consumption, and thus your monthly bill, is.
Hot or Cold to the Touch
An easier way to see if there’s something wrong with your window is to touch it. More specifically, if it feels hot to the touch in the summer, or if it’s freezing cold to the touch during winter, then it means that the glasses on the windows are no longer functioning as it should in terms of keeping the outdoor air out. The draft wafting in through cracks and slots is a sure sign of damage too, of course.
Sometimes, you don’t really need any particular reason to change your windows except that you’d like to upgrade and dress it up a little bit. Maybe you’re looking to renovate the house, and of course, you shouldn’t leave the windows out of the plan.
In any case, it would definitely be a lot of help for you if you get your window replacement from trusted suppliers, like Muller Exteriors Inc.
