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What Should You Do to Help Older Windows Last Longer? 

How does window maintenance help my older windows last longer? Practical window maintenance makes your older windows last longer and more energy efficient so you can enjoy sitting beside your windows without your fan in the summer or blankets in the winter.

 

If you have recently purchased an older home, you’ll understandably be wary of where you spend your renovation dollars. Although incentives to replace your windows and drafty doors are everywhere (every time you fight to open or properly close a window or door being one of them), it may not be the right time to tackle a whole house window and door replacement. 

Read Ten Reasons You Should Consider Replacing All Your Windows at Once

Forest City Window & Door Ltd. are professional window and door contractors in the London and St. Thomas area and have provided expert installations for many happy clients since 1993. 

Please read the following list of the top maintenance tips that will help to keep your existing windows and doors lasting until you’re ready for new ones.

Break down the work to manageable and feel better knowing you’re saving money on your heating and cooling bills. (If you tackle one window every week, the pressure is lessened.)

 

Ways to maintain older windows so that they last longer and are more energy efficient:

 

1) Keep dirt from gathering in the cracks and corners of the window and sill for smooth window operation.  

There’s nothing more lovely than a cool breeze, but that breeze also brings in tiny dirt particles that, over time, keep your windows from operating easily. You’ll be reluctant to use them if you can’t open your windows or they don’t correctly close because of accumulated dirt particles. 

 

2) Scrape or strip years of built-up paint for tighter seals and fewer drafts.

Use properly sharpened scraping tools to make the job go more quickly. You’ll be surprised to see how much paint will have accumulated on top of what may have. Prime any raw wood or previous oil paint before repainting, and brush away any drips; the most critical piece of painting advice. 

 

3) Weatherstripping and caulking added to your freshly scraped or stripped painted windows will significantly enhance their energy efficiency.

Once your windows are freshly cleaned and scraped, it’s time to use some of the many iterations of weatherstripping available for drafty windows and warped doors. Keep up with repairs, caulking, and sealing to limit unwanted air movement at your window.

 

4) Blinds or drapery hold cold exterior air against the window,  allowing it to warm before circulating.

Cellular, known as honeycomb, are the best energy-efficient shades. Both outside and inside mount have advantages; your room will feel warmer in the winter. Pull your shades closed during the hottest day to feel cooler in the summer.

Similarly, lined drapes protect the room from feeling drafty and prohibit the hot sun from overheating your room.

 

5) Low-e film applied to the inside of your window glass reflects the heat away from its surface (and looks better than tin foil.)

Low-e film is sold by the roll, and similar to the qualities of tin foil, the metal in the low-e coating reflects the heat away from its surface. It can reflect 70 – 80% of solar heat and conserve 50% of the room’s internal temperature during the winter.

 

6) When fogging is evident, replace sealed units to increase energy efficiency and make windows last longer.

Sealed units are composed of two (or sometimes three) panes of glass with a space filled with inert gas in between. However, nothing looks worse than fogged sealed units. Most sealed units have a date of manufacture viewable as a sticker near a corner on the spacer. Warranties are usually 10 years. Most window companies can provide sealed units for any manufactured window. 

Please contact or call Forest City Window & Door Ltd. at (519) 659 6906

if you have questions about a new window or door replacement.