What are Your Windows and Doors Trying to Tell You?

By Gates Dearen

Courtesy of PxHere

If you ask most homeowners, they’ll tell you that their homes have a distinct personality.  Some homes seem to have a sunny disposition that feels light and airy the moment you walk in.  Others seem to get a bit cranky during the dog days of summer.  Maybe your house is trying to tell you something.  The components that make up your home can sometimes seem to cry out for attention, like the noise your air handler makes if forget to change the filter every month or so.  Believe it or not, windows and doors have something to say from time to time too.  And you’d better listen, since turning a deaf ear to what they’re trying to tell you, can cost you money in the long run.

1. The squeaky window that didn’t get the grease – If your home has casement windows, they sometimes need a shot of oil to keep them opening and closing smoothly.  Their cranks are attached to gears that come from the factory ready to roll.  However, over the years, dust, moisture, and other contaminants tend to make the gears work less smoothly.  If your casements complain every time you crank them open and closed, a little squirt of WD-40 should quiet the squeaks and help your windows open and close like new.   Even double hung windows get stuck sometimes.  That’s because they can also build up with gunk gumming up the tracks.  A simple shot of silicon spray and a rag is usually enough to free up any blockage that’s keeping your sliding windows from moving freely.

   

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2. The fog of war – Whether you realize it or not, your windows are at war with the elements.  That’s right, the sounds of thunder you hear outside during the long, hot summer are the opening salvos of a battle being raged day in and day out with your home.  The job of your windows is to repel the worst that Mother Nature can throw at them.  For the most part, they manage to keep these villains at bay.  But over time, wind and rain have a nasty habit of eroding your window's ability to hold off the onslaught.  The first sign that your windows are in need of reinforcement is when you detect a fog of condensation between the panes.  This is a sure sign that the seals have given way and moisture has breached the first line of defense.
3. Old man river – If you ever come home after a rainstorm only to see a puddle just inside the
   door, this is a sure sign that the weather stripping around your door needs attention.  When we Floridians get a squall, the rain can literally blow sideways.  If the weather-stripping around your door has even the smallest of cracks, the rain will quickly find its way into your home.  The easiest way to check the integrity of your door’s weather-stripping is to close the door on a sunny day.  If you see the sun shining anywhere along the periphery of your doorjamb, it’s a sure bet that it’s time to replace the stripping.

   

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4. It’s a jungle in there – Other than the tropical heat in the Sunshine State, we Floridians are forced to deal with the tropical humidity as well.  More than half the energy used to cool our homes in the summer is related to reducing the humidity.  That means the more humid your home is, the longer your air conditioner is forced to run.  If your windows and doors aren’t doing their part to keep the humidity out, not only will you be able to feel it, you might even be able to see it.  Do your windows have a sheen of condensation on the inside, or can you feel a pulse of warm, humid air brush your arm as you pass by a window or door?  This is an indication of air intrusion that will reduce the ability of your air conditioner run most efficiently.
5. That’s just swell – If you’ve ever noticed your door sticking when you tried to open or close it during the warmer months of the year, it could be trying to tell you that it’s swollen.  If your doors are made of wood, they can all too easily absorb moisture, which can cause them to swell and the door to stick.  While you can take a wood plane to the door to make it stop sticking, this could cause the door to leak air during the winter when the wood contracts in the cold.  A better solution is to replace that wooden door with a wood-grained fiberglass door that’s guaranteed never to expand and contract due to varying degrees of moisture.

   

   Courtesy of Homerite Jacksonville

6. A stubborn streak – Some windows open and close just fine, but they won’t stay open.  If you have a double hung window with this issue, you may need to check out the sash support system.  Located on the sides of the window, the sash lift could be the culprit.  If the window sticks, the likely suspect is the sash stop.  Either of these components can be easily and affordably replaced. 
7. Hold the mold – Another clear sign that you have water intrusion is the appearance of mold on or around any window.  While you can scrub black mold off, if it keeps reappearing you may have a more serious issue, like mold growing inside your wall.  Since mold can become a health issue, the solution is to eliminate the source of the mold as soon as possible.
8. Time and tide – If your windows and doors are presenting you with multiple issues, it could be that it’s time to replace them.   Modern replacement windows and doors are designed to not only eliminate the problems listed above, they will also improve your home’s energy efficiency, extend the life of your central air conditioning system, and improve the curb appeal and value of your home.

   

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If you’re ready to consider replacing your windows and/or doors, contact us at HomeRite Windows and Doors by calling (904) 296-2515 or visit our showroom at 4801 Executive Park Court, Building 200, Suite 207, Jacksonville; FL 32216. 

Gates Dearen is the co-owner of HomeRite Windows and Doors in Jacksonville, Florida. He and Richard Walden have been serving the building products industry in Florida for over 25 years. They strive to match homeowners with the right windows and doors for their homes and budgets. They make the home improvement process pleasant with first-rate, energy-efficient products, affordable pricing, and award-winning installers who employ the best practices and who always treat customers and their property with the utmost respect.