Creating a Beautiful Outdoor Space

Signs You Need New Windows Before Winter Returns

26 March 2020 by Delores Chavez

In most homes, you can make do with questionable windows in the summer if you must. Sure, your air conditioning bills might be a bit higher and you might have some warm areas around windows, but that's about the worst of it. When winter returns, however, poor windows will cause all sorts of issues. Your home will be cold. Water will seep in. Ice may form on the inside and outside of the glass. So what are the signs your windows are no longer cutting it and need to be replaced before winter returns?

The glass wiggles within the sash.

Push gently on the glass on each window. Does it move or shift within the frame? This is a bad sign. A window with loose glass will surely let in cold air once winter hits, and it will definitely not serve its insulating duties. You could temporarily caulk the glass back into the window sash, but this is not a strong enough fix to stop a strong wind from blowing the glass back out of place.

The wood is rotting and breaking down.

Look closely at the wood in the corners of the window frame and along the base of the window sash. If the wood appears to be rotting, that window needs to be replaced before winter. Winter's rain and cold temperatures will only make the wood more brittle, and you may end up with glass falling out of the window by the end of the season.

Your windows don't latch or lock.

If the windows no longer latch or lock closed, this is a safety issue. It's not the safest thing to be living with in the summer, but it is even more concerning in the winter when you may be leaving town to visit family for the holidays or keeping expensive gifts inside your home. New windows that latch and lock will keep criminals from breaking in.

You're already noticing water inside the window.

Water inside the window sash, on the floor around the window, or on the wall around the window is a sign that the window is already leaking. Leaks will only get worse once there's snow outside. Any snow that packs around the window outside will slowly melt and leak in, and the moisture will cause building materials like wallboard and flooring to rot and deteriorate.

Do not delay replacing your windows! Acting before winter arrives is the best way to protect your home. Learn more about replacement windows by contacting a window service in your area.

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