When Should You Replace Your Windows?

English: Cross Section of an energy efficient
replacement window for residential buildings.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Gates Dearen

Most home owners who have an older home, try to keep their living space beautiful and energy efficient, especially in the summer and winter months. One of the most common questions we are asked when speaking to these home owner is, “When should I replace my windows?”

The windows in your home not only serve to add character and beauty, but also have essential functions to keep the home properly lighted and insulated. Do you choose to open your windows to allow the fresh air to permeate your home during spring cleaning? Do you enjoy feeling a cool spring or fall breeze throughout the house when the windows are open? Do you have enough natural light in your home? Do your windows fit the style of your home and make it more attractive?

Windows that are in good condition, that keep the elements out and accent your home, are essential in making your home more comfortable and elegant. Windows that are older and have too much wear and tear can cause potential damage to your home.  We are going to investigate some of the key signs that tell you when it’s time to replace your windows.

SIGN #1 – Your Windows are Difficult to Open

New windows won't stick!

If you dread the thought of trying to pry open your windows because it is too difficult, it may be a good time to replace them. Everyone in your home should have the ability to open or close a window and if that’s not the case, this can be an extremely hazardous situation, especially in the event of a fire.

If the balance mechanism in a window starts to fail, the window won’t be able to stay open on its own. This happens more often with older windows which is a sign they need replacing. Rot and rust can occur when metal and wood windows are not painted correctly. As a result, the balance mechanism will fail to work properly and the window will not stay in the up position, which can cause them to slam shut, creating yet more damage.

SIGN #2- The Atmosphere inside is similar to the atmosphere outside

If your windows are closed and you still feel the outside elements inside your home, it’s probably time to replace them. This is especially true with single-pane glass windows which are not energy efficient and literally let the outside elements into your home. These windows can freeze in the winter and increase the chances of cracking and breakage.  They can leak air and allow water to come into your home and cause mold and mildew to form and fester.

Excessive humidity inside your home can cause damage throughout. It can get into the walls and attic allowing water to freeze in the winter and melt in the warmer months causing damage to the plaster in your walls. This is a serious issue and should be addressed because of the potential damage to the home’s structure.  Too much humidity inside the home is also a potential health hazard, not only due to the potential growth of mold and mildew, but it can contribute to upper respiratory illness in individuals with allergies and asthma.

Watch this short video testimonial about Homerite Windows and Doors.

SIGN #3- Your Energy Bills are Too High in the Winter and Summer Months

When your windows are not energy efficient, the result is higher heating and cooling costs. Too much solar radiation admitted through a window can heat up a home during the summer months and require more cooling in order to be comfortable. This is helpful in the winter months but probably means the solar heat gain coefficient is too high and may require window replacement.  In the entire window assembly, heat loss and gain can occur through cracks in the system. Your windows may have a high air leakage rate, which allows too much air in or out. Even good windows may allow a bit of infiltration, but it should never be noticeable.  If your windows are not resistant to heat flow, the U-Value (the measurement of heat loss) is too high and will consequently lead to higher energy costs.

SIGN #4- Your Carpeting and Furnishings are Fading Fast

Fading can occur when UV rays from the sun pass through your windows onto the interior surfaces. Older windows do not have the same glazing as newer energy efficient windows. Expensive artwork and fine furnishings should be protected by using a low emission (low-E) coating that protects the interior of your home from the sun’s rays. Most new windows sold now have this feature.

SIGN #5- Condensation Inside Your Windows

New Modern windows will not produce condensation.

This applies to double and triple-paned windows. If condensation is occurring inside the glass, the entire window may need to be replaced because the seal may have failed. If this occurs, then the window is not providing a barrier to the outside elements.  Double and triple-paned windows have a layer of gas, usually argon, between the panes. If multiple-paned windows become foggy, it usually means the seal itself has been compromised.  Silica pellets inside the perimeter strip that usually absorb moisture from the air in between the panes can be over-saturated and cannot absorb the moisture causing condensation to form.

If left untouched and the condensation continues, it can potentially leave irreversible damage to the window. “River-bedding” occurs when droplets form and follow a path down the window which cut grooves similar to a river running through a canyon. “Silica haze” looks like snowflakes and occurs when the pellets are saturated and have been eroded by air currents. This is another sign that the window needs to be replaced.

SIGN #6- Your Windows are Mismatched

You have made the biggest investment of your lifetime - a home purchase. You may have an older home that could use a few style touches, or you may have a home with mismatched windows. As we have discussed, older windows not only come with a host of problems, but can also be unattractive – even inappropriate. Replacing your windows can provide improved style and beauty to your home. There are so many designs to choose from that will not only enhance the character of your home, but also provide the energy efficiency to reduce heating and cooling costs and add more comfort.

In this article, I have provided some of the key things to look for when trying to decide if it’s time to replace their windows. It is an investment that can pay off in energy saving and add beauty, value and comfort to their home. 

Here are some related article you may want to also read.  Small Windows That Make a Big Statement, How Do You Check for a Leaky House? and Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal.

If you would like to receive an official factory authorized 30% discount coupon for your next window replacement purchase, print out this article with the coupon on it  and bring it with you when visiting HomeRite.

Gates Dearen is the co-owner of HomeRite Windows and Doors in Jacksonville, Florida. Owners Dearen and Richard Walden have been serving the building products industry in Florida for over 25 years. They know the products, the industry, the market and what adds great value to a home. Their approach is somewhat different than others.  They strive to match the homeowner with the right windows and doors for their home and budget.  They know that some home improvement projects can be a hassle.  They strive to make the process pleasant with first-rate, energy efficient products; affordable prices; and expert, award-wining installers that employ the best practices and who respect your home as if it were their own.

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Get Smart About Windows & Doors

By Gates Dearen

Courtesy of homeritejacksonville.com/

You may have heard it said that today, especially with the popularity and easy access to the Internet, we live in the “Age of Information.”  Have a question about something? Want to learn a new skill? Embark on a DIY project? Make an intelligent buying decision? Save money? Chances are, by searching, or “googling” on almost any subject imaginable, you can find a wide range of highly useful information, all readily available on your PC, smart phone or device.

Home Security; What Part Do Your Doors Play?

By Gates Dearen

Photo Credit: mlive.com

Imagine coming home from work one evening only to discover that while you were away, your house has been burglarized and vandalized.  Many of your prized possessions are missing and your personal, private space has been ransacked and is now in disarray by the thieves who not only stole your valuables, but intentionally ransacked your house, ate some the food in the fridge, left it open so the rest of your food spoiled, sprayed obscene graffiti on your walls, upturned furniture and other items, and generally left your home uninhabitable. A frightening scenario, indeed.

In the first segment of this mini-series I’m first going to provide some security To Do’s that are predominately common sense, but are worth considering.  I’m then going to focus on front and back doors.  In a follow-up article, I’ll focus on windows and share more general home security tips.

Home Security Basics  

Photo Credit: gopatio.com

If you’re planning on being away from home for a several days, take some necessary, common sense steps to make it less obvious you’re away.  For one thing, if you subscribe to any newspapers, ensure their delivery is temporarily stopped.  Similarly, you can also arrange to have the post office temporarily hold your mail.  Or you should make arrangements with a trusted friend, relative or neighbor to retrieve it daily.  Don’t make any purchases in advance of your leaving so that packages or attempted delivery notices by firms such as FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc., are hanging on your front door.  If you use a lawn service, have it trim your lawn just prior to your leaving (so yours isn’t the only home in the neighborhood with an unkempt lawn).  Bring in any trash/recycling containers.  If you’re planning on leaving your car at home, park it in the garage.

My colleagues at Working the Web to Win also advise being wise online.  While it’s tempting to do so, don’t tell the entire world via social media sites such as Facebook that you’re going on vacation.  You're just advertising your imminent absence to would-be thieves.  Don’t post photos of yourself while you’re on vacation either.  This also tells the world you’re not at home.  Wait until you return home to show off your vacation pictures.

Photo Credit: blog.homesecuritystore.com 

Invest in an alarm system.  There are many good firms out there, and with digital technology, you can have your house monitored 24/7. Consider installing security cameras. Even a couple of inexpensive cameras at the front and back doors can help deter would-be thieves. You can set them up to record/playback the video feed on your PC, smart phone, tablet, etc.  You can buy manual timing devices or, if you have a smarthome, program various lights and appliances (i.e., TV, radio) to turn on and off at varying times, emulating your physical presence at home. 

Front Doors

Photo Credit: crime-safety-security.com  

Statistically, it’s been found that most burglars gain access to a house via the front or back door.  Some windows are also susceptible.  While no home is 100% burglar proof (depending upon a thief’s ability), by upgrading your home’s access ways ― doors and windows ― and taking other smart steps, you can minimize the chances of an intrusion.  

Always keep all doors and windows securely locked, even when leaving home for a few minutes.  Why make it easier for burglars to gain access to your home in the first place? The best-built locks in the world will do you little good if you don’t use them.  I’ll talk more about locks a little later. 

Are any of your home’s exterior doors hollow? If so, you should replace them right away.  Hollow doors are merely sheets of veneer over a cardboard core, therefore they are not very sturdy at all.  How can you tell if any of your doors are hollow?  Simple.  Knock on them.  You’ll hear a resonant sound versus a solid “thwack” if your door is hollow.  While hollow doors may be fine for inside the home, all exterior doors should be solid, built of several main materials such as fiberglass, solid wood, solid wood core (a layer of veneer over solid wood), or metal.  With metallic exterior doors, be sure that they’re reinforced inside and have what’s known as a lock block.  If not, these metallic doors can be bent out of the frame with a car jack.  

Photo Credit: impactglassmiami.com

While it’s true a solid door without windows provides more security than a door with glass or windows, today’s technology provides for strong, impact-resistant glass, which is much harder to smash through This not only protects you from being burglarized, it’s also advantageous for severe weather.  From a design/security standpoint, your home shouldn’t have any windows close enough to the door so as to facilitate a thief being able to break the window and reach inside to unlock the door from the inside.  

 Sliding Glass Doors

If you have sliding glass doors or glass door panels or nearby windows, make certain to cover the glass with a security grate or grill on the outside.  You can also have a clear, unbreakable polycarbonate panel secured behind the glass on the interior side of the glass. 

To better secure any sliding doors, install keyed locks at the top and bottom. You can install a stop bar that swings down from the door frame to the middle of the door to stop it from sliding.  Some  people recommend placing some type of rod. A thick wooden dowel can work here, or a tight-fitting 2' x 4' wood plank in the bottom track to keep it from being opened.  Reinforce the glass with polycarbonate panels.

Door Locks

Photo Credit: coppercreekhardware.com

With the exception of sliding doors, all exterior doors should have a deadbolt lock in addition to the lock built into the doorknob. This deadbolt should be high quality (Grade 1 or 2 solid metals with no exposed screws on the exterior), with a throw bolt (the bolt that comes out of the door) at least one inch (2.5 cm) long.  If any of your doors have a low-quality deadbolt or throw bolts shorter than one inch, these should be replaced.  

In addition to the deadbolt, consider having a dead-lock installed.  These provide extra security when you’re at home.  Sometimes referred to as an “exit-only deadbolt” this is a type of lock that doesn’t have an external key aperture.  The mechanism itself is visible on the exterior of the door, but these can’t be broken into unless a burglar destroys the door, the door frame, or the lock itself.  While, by design, these locks don’t work when you’re away from home since they can only be manually turned from the inside, its visibility on all external doors may be sufficient to discourage a potential intruder.   

Photo Credit: keedex.com

Burglars have removed or damaged lock cylinders by hammering, wrenching, or prying them off of doors. Protect your lock cylinders (the part where you insert your key) with cylinder guards, which are either metal guard plates or protective rings on both sides of the door.  For better protection, use guard plates with round-head carriage bolts to prevent them from being unscrewed.  Free-spinning rings around the cylinders will prevent someone from using a pipe wrench to twist the cylinder out.  Many locks already come with these, but if not, most home supply stores carry them.  

Weak or flimsy strike plates can also facilitate someone gaining access.  The strike plate is the metal plate that surrounds the lock-set (the hole in the door frame where the lock bolt enters).  All exterior doors should have heavy-duty metal security strike plates secured by four, three-inch screws. Open up your front door and inspect yours.  To save costs, the exterior doors for many homes today, and especially condos and apartments, have lower quality strike plates, often only secured with short screws that are merely inserted into the door jam.  Longer screws affixed into the underlying stud provide much better protection.   

Hinges

Photo Credit: studio-tm.com

Your door’s hinges should be on the inside of the door. If yours are not, rehang the door or secure the exposed hinges with non-removable pins.  You can do this by removing at least the two center screws on each side of the hinge and replacing them with non-removable hinge pins. You can get these at a hardware store or use double-headed masonry nails.  Hinges that are not exposed should be secured to the frame with three-inch screws.

Door Frame

Even with a strong door and quality, properly-installed locks, a burglar may be able to gain entry by breaking or prying the door frame.  Most door frame moldings are simply tacked to the wall, and so a crowbar or a solid kick can easily separate the frame from the wall.  Secure your door frames to the walls by installing several three-inch long screws along the frame and doorstop.  As with the strike plate screws, these, too, should reach into the wall stud.

Viewers, also called peep holes, allow you to see who is on the other side of the door. Install wide-angle viewers at eye level on all exterior doors. If you have to open your door to see who’s there, your lock won't do you much good.  Even better: look for peep hole models with covers to prevent people from looking back inside with special tools, like a reverse peephole viewer.

In this first part of our mini-series on home security, I offered some general information about how to increase your home’s security. I then focused on exterior doors and their various components, including locks, hinges, frames, and discussed how to make them safer.  

If you found this article helpful, please forward it along. If have a comment or question, please post it in the “Comment” section below.  As always, thanks for taking the time to visit our blog.

If you would like to receive an official factory authorized 30% discount coupon for your next window replacement purchase, print out this article with the coupon on it  and bring it with you when visiting HomeRite.

Gates Dearen is the co-owner of HomeRite Windows and Doors in Jacksonville, Florida. Owners Dearen and Richard Walden have been serving the building products industry in Florida for over 25 years. They know the products, the industry, the market and what adds great value to a home. Their approach is a somewhat different than others.  They strive to match the homeowner with the right windows and doors for their home and budget.  They know some home improvement projects can be a hassle.  They strive to make the process pleasant with first-rate, energy efficient products; affordable prices; and expert, award-wining installers that employ the best practices and who respect your home as if it were their own.

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Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal

By Gates Dearen

What homeowner wouldn’t want his or her house to look its best?

While the term “curb appeal” is generally related to the real estate industry, the concept is a good one to think about even if you aren’t selling (or buying) a home. If it’s been a while since you took a good, objective look at the exterior of your home, now is a great time to assess your home’s appearance, especially in terms of cleanliness, maintenance, and design. We’ll discuss all of these aspects, including paying special attention to your windows and doors. Going through these simple steps can help you determine if it’s time to replace any of your windows and doors; there comes a point when they can’t be fixed, or are otherwise outdated and/or inefficient, and need to be replaced. It can be hard sometimes to look at your house objectively, after all, you see it every day, so taking a picture and examining it in detail will help you spot problems you may miss with the naked eye.

Cleanliness

When you look at your home from the street, or from a distance (if your home isn’t visible from the street), what’s your overall impression? Do your windows sparkle? Are your window frames and doorframes clean and intact? Is your entryway free of clutter and debris? The first step to improving the appearance of your home is to wipe off the windows and doors, including the surrounding areas, and sweep the entry area and walkways. Next take a good look at the windows and doors themselves. If you have older windows and doors, keeping them clean can be a greater challenge. While the newer types of frames require only a quick rinse with a hose, and maybe a gentle wipe-down, older frames – especially wooden ones – tend to attract dirt and are more difficult to keep clean. If the frames are chipped or exceedingly dirty, you might also need to apply a new coat of paint. Never use a pressure washer on or around windows; it’s unnecessary and could break the windows.

Maintenance

Once you’ve cleaned and tidied up your home’s exterior, it’s time to do a maintenance check. (For a more detailed discussion of this topic, see our previous article, “Window Maintenance 101: 3 Ways to Keep Your Windows Looking and Functioning Their Best”.) If you have a painted entry door, make sure that the paint doesn’t show signs of weathering. Repainting is a quick task that can add a high-quality look to your door and really freshen things up. Don’t be shy about changing colors; a bright or contrasting color can make your door “pop”. Next, check the weather stripping and caulk around your entry door and all of your windows to make sure they are in good repair. If the weather stripping is damaged, you should replace it or have it replaced by a professional. If you have gaps in the caulk between the wall and the window casing, or around the doorframe, you can fill them yourself. Remember to apply caulk sparingly with a steady hand. (If you aren’t experienced at applying caulk, practice on a piece of newspaper before working around your frames. The small amount of caulk you’ll use to do this is worth not having to remove it from your frames if you get off-track.)

Remember too that maintenance isn’t just about appearance. Are your windows and doors keeping the hot air out and cold air in, and vice versa? If not, no amount of maintenance is going to help. It’s time to replace your windows and/or doors. (For more information on this topic, read our earlier article, “How Do You Check for a Leaky House?”)

Design

The style of your windows and doors is limited only by your imagination. A new entry door with an etched glass or stained-glass panel lets you express yourself while also providing improved security. In addition to the many styles of doors available, add to your unique look with shiny new hardware. Locksets come in many styles and finishes, so they can help you put the perfect finishing touch on your door. Windows, too, come in many styles, including custom types for special needs – or for a special look. Do you have an odd-shaped space in your home that could use more light, or an angled wall that could benefit from a replacement window, perhaps in a new design? Consider a custom window. You’ll find yourself using that wasted space more than ever before! If it’s been awhile since you updated your windows, you may be surprised at not only the number of choices when it comes to design, but also the many recent technologies that greatly improve functionality and energy efficiency. From argon gas between panes to low-emissivity coatings that increase efficiency to better locks that offer ease of use, new windows will not just improve the look of your home. They will enhance your quality of life.

Keeping your home looking its best is easy; it just takes a little bit of time and effort. If you follow the above steps, your home will be the envy of the neighborhood. You’ll reap the rewards of an attractive home and, if you update your windows and doors, better energy efficiency and improved security.

In this article we’ve given three steps to making your home look its best. We discussed the importance of keeping your house, especially your windows and doors, clean and in good repair, and talked about ways you can add distinctive style to your house, improving its curb appeal.

If you would like to receive an official factory authorized 30% discount coupon for your next window replacement purchase, print out this article with the coupon on it  and bring it with you when visiting HomeRite.

Gates Dearen is the co-owner of HomeRite Windows and Doors in Jacksonville, Florida. Owners Gates Dearen and Richard Walden have been serving the building products industry in Florida for over 25 years. We know the products, the industry, the market and what adds great value to a home.  Our approach is a little different.  We strive to match the homeowner with the right windows for their home and budget. Home improvements can be a hassle.  We’re here to make life easier with first-rate, energy efficient products; affordable prices; strong warranties and expert, award-winning installers that provide excellent service while respecting your home as if it were their own. 

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Put the Latest Glass Technologies to Work for You!

By Gates Dearen

Courtesy of
homeritejacksonville.com/

Over the past decade, window and door glass has improved immensely. This is especially important in Florida, where intense sunlight can pour though older types of glass, resulting in lost energy efficiency as well as faded carpets, window treatments, and furniture. As you shop for new windows, you may wonder what the information on the stickers means, and why it’s important. From Low-e to SHGC to U-factor and R-value to VT, we’ll explain it all so you can be a more knowledgeable consumer.