Owning a home requires constant preventative maintenance to protect your investment and maintain a high quality of life for yourself or your tenants. Although often overlooked when it comes time to perform upgrades or repairs, your windows are an essential fixture of your home that must be routinely serviced and replaced. Here is a look at a few key signs that it’s time to upgrade your windows.
Consistent Jamming
As windows age, they begin to fall out of alignment with the larger frame, which can lead to issues with how they are balanced. As a result, older windows tend to jam or get stuck. If your windows are constantly jammed, this may be a sign that it’s time to have them serviced. Other factors like mold, rust, or the decaying of the windowpanes can also exacerbate this problem and lead to the entire window needing to be replaced. The occasional jam is going to happen, even with new windows. But if it’s a consistent problem, you should consult an expert.
High Utility Bills
If your utility bills keep going up, even though your current heat or AC usage remains the same, this could be the result of aging windows. Over time, cracks and gaps can form in your windowpane which can lead to cold air getting into your home, or hot air if it’s the summer. This will cause an increase in your monthly utility bill because you’ll need to keep increasing the heat or AC to achieve the optimum temperature. If you find yourself shivering while standing beside the window, or you feel unwanted heat getting in, this is a surefire sign that it’s time to upgrade.
Outside Noise Seeping In
Another red flag is if excessive noise is able to get into your home. Unless you go through the process of soundproofing the residence, a certain amount of noise is going to be able to penetrate your doors and windows. But if the amount of noise that’s able to get in has increased since you first moved in, or you can hear every car alarm or child yelling with crystal clarity, it may be time to examine your window health. This is typically a problem with the insulation, which can deteriorate over time. Or if there is a significant gap in the windowpane or a crack in the glass, the noise will find its way in.
Water Damage
One of the most important benefits of healthy windows is the ability to protect the interior of the home from the weather and outside elements. If you’re noticing excessive water damage on the frame, or if any precipitation is able to penetrate the exterior, it’s time to call a specialist. The last thing you want is to go through a serious weather event like a hurricane or blizzard and risk serious damage to your home because of a broken or decaying window.
Drafts
Consistent cold drafts are another sign that the windows may be malfunctioning. This usually indicates that the window seals are starting to erode, which is how the cold air is seeping in. If you find yourself shivering when you move to one room or another or stand beside the window, it’s likely that the change in temperature is being caused by old windows. This is another factor that will lead to an increase in heating bills and put stress on your HVAC system. So if you’re experiencing excessive cold drafts that are impacting your comfort level, you should consider calling a technician to have your windows inspected.
Excessive Condensation
If you start noticing condensation building up in between the panes of glass, this is a sign that the sealing is starting to erode, or the glazing is breaking down. If moisture is able to seep in between panes, it means that the window is beginning to decay and may soon let moisture into the home. Condensation forming on the exterior of the window is going to happen, especially in wet climates. But if it’s able to penetrate the glass or sneak in through gaps in the pane, it’s a sign that something isn’t right.
Any homeowners in the Dallas/Fort Worth area experiencing any of the above problems should contact Advanced Glass Systems. We are your local glass and window experts who will be happy to diagnose your problem and recommend the appropriate solution. We’ve been in business for over 28 years and offer a wide variety of glass installation and repair services. Contact us today if you are worried about the condition of the windows in your home.
