What do finances, fungus, and fractures have in common? They are all potential reasons you should replace the windows in your home or business.
‘Finances’ refers to the money you lose through your HVAC system when your windows are no longer acting as the insulators they should be. ‘Fungus’ means the mold that forms on old, moisture-ridden windows, bringing toxic elements into your home that could harm your family. ‘Fractures’ is the physical breakdown of your windows and window frames that could lead to more problems, including unwanted physical intrusions by critters and creatures of all kinds.
When your windows have deteriorated to the point where any of these situations exist, it’s time to replace them. In this handy guide, we’ll go into detail about each of these three conditions to educate you on what to look for and what type of windows to consider when the time comes for a replacement.
Finances
Take a look at your most recent utility bills. If your windows are too old or too shoddy, you’ll see a definite increase in the amount you’re paying to keep your home comfortable. In the summer, you’ll pay more money to run the air conditioning. In the winter, you’ll pay more to heat your home. And this happens because your windows are in poor condition.
When windows deteriorate, regardless of what they’re made of, they no longer act as insulators to regulate the temperature of your home. Ergo, your HVAC system must compensate. The effects are the same as they would be if your home had no insulation to prevent heat from moving freely between rooms and floors.
Essentially, your comfort and cash literally fly right out the window.
Fungus
Losing money isn’t even the worst thing that can happen to your home when your windows go bad. When the window frames begin to lose their structural integrity, moisture can begin to build on the inside. If you have wood windows, this is a major problem.
Over time, that moisture eats into the wood, decomposing that organic material. The result is fungus—in some bad cases, full-fledged mushrooms—growing on your windowsill. Fungus can be toxic, especially if ingested by children or pets.
You may not even realize these conditions exist in your home before it’s too late. The best way to combat this type of deterioration is to bring in a professional for a thorough inspection. A trained eye can catch problem areas before they become costly repairs.
This is also more common in older homes. If you’re looking to buy or you’ve recently purchased a home, have a thorough window inspection completed before you expose your family to potentially hazardous toxins.
Fractures
And fungus is just the beginning. If your windows continue to deteriorate, no matter what material they’re made of, many worse things can occur.
For example, if your windows are made of wood and aren’t treated regularly, you should consider replacements. Wood can splinter and break due to overexposure to sun and weather, or it can become damp and decompose, which not only can harbor fungus, but will attract pests like termites and carpenter ants. Vinyl windows can also splinter if the joints aren’t heat-sealed; once the joints break or deteriorate, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the frame follows suit.
Once these types of problems arrive, you’re looking at very costly repairs.
The thing is, you can’t always catch when this occurs. Your entire window may not show signs of deterioration; it may be a small section that lies beyond of the spots where you regularly interact with your window frames. But the effects of this little spot can spread.
What To Do Now
If you find any of these problems with your current windows, you have reason to replace them. If you can’t find any of these problems, it still behooves you to get a professional inspection. It’s much more costly to deal with problems after the fact that to do preventative maintenance, so call U.S. Window and Door to get the hands-on help you need.
Remember, the most cost-effective way to deal with potential window problems is to take care of them before they become an issue in the first place. While you’re at it, talk to our professional team about the advantages of vinyl windows. There have been tons of engineering advancements in the field over the last few years, and some of those advancements involve saving you money and offering more protection from the elements.
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