Even if your home was spared damage from the recent severe storms that hit the northern part of Minneapolis hard, your windows may still be in bad shape and in need of replacement.
This is especially true for homes that have older windows.
Many people realize that old windows have a thinner glass or fewer panes of glass. As we work on historic and other older homes around the Twin Cities, the windows we remove usually have just one pane of glass. Of course, single-pane glass creates a very inefficient seal and almost no insulation, but there are other problems that old windows can also have.
Even if you have a decent-double pane setup on the old windows of your home, you could still be suffering from serious energy loss through wood rot, failing seals, poor hardware and a number of other common issues that older windows suffer from.
It’s important to realize all the potential problems that aging windows face, so you can more accurately evaluate your windows when considering replacement products.
Rotten Wood: Dried out, deteriorated wood doesn’t insulate nearly as well as fresh wood. Old wood windows in moist climates rot, and you are likely not getting top performance out of a very old wood window. And as they rot, the begin to warp and shrink so they don’t fit snugly in their openings. Once you notice signs of rot, it’s time to replace the windows with something more modern; you’ll enjoy a better seal once you do.
Failed Hardware and Worn Weather Stripping: It’s common for many old windows to suffer from failing hardware and worn-out weather stripping. If your windows are difficult to open or close, it often means the hardware is in poor shape and that they aren’t getting a good seal any longer.
Old windows also have worn out weather stripping that simply doesn’t insulate well any longer. It is possible to replace this weather stripping in some instances, but in very old windows that’s like putting a small bandage on a missing limb. The fix doesn’t do nearly enough for your home and the window is better off being replaced.
Old Aluminum Windows Are Poor Insulators: Decades ago aluminum replacement windows were all the rage, and almost 100 years ago, home builders and remodelers started using them. They experienced a surge in popularity after WWII as well. If you’ve got a home built before 1950, it may have aluminum windows.
Modern aluminum windows rely on thick weather stripping and thermal break technology to help them maintain decent insulation levels. These technologies either weren’t used on older aluminum windows, or much of it has failed over time, leaving them as poor insulators and a major cause of energy loss in older homes. Be sure to check old aluminum windows to see if the weather stripping is still intact or if it is worn out. Also, consider working with an energy auditor to check for hot or cold spots on the older windows of your home to see how well they are insulating your home.
Old windows are the source of many different problems that will all take away from the energy efficiency of your home. By learning about just a few of the different problems your old windows could be causing you, it will be easier to justify making the upgrade to a higher quality and more modern replacement window product. Examine your old windows today, or consider working with a Minnesota home remodeling company like Window Outfitters to find out just what your home needs.
Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.
