How to Know if Your Window Seal Is Broken
Windows do more than let a little light into your home—they also serve as insulators and all-natural home heaters on the side. By letting sunlight through in the winter while keeping cold air out with multiple gas-filled layers, they help keep your interior cozy, comfortable, and pleasant to be in throughout the colder months.
That being said, windows only work this way if they’re in good health; an ailing window, with the seal between the panes broken, can actually chill a room and send your energy bills sky-high. What’s worse, it’s hard to know if the seal between the panes is actually broken or a completely separate problem is causing your window woes!
Haggerty Windows & Siding is here to help with a brief guide to window panes and broken seals below.
Condensation: How Indicative of Window Damage Is it?
Is there a thin layer of water on your windows? This is called condensation, and it can indicate that the seal that maintains your windows’ insulating layer of gas is broken—but this isn’t always the case.
Water buildup can occur for a variety of reasons. For example, if the room the window is located in tends to use a lot of hot water (IE the kitchen or bathroom) simple differences in temperature from your interior and the exterior cause condensation. Think about what happens to your bathroom windows after you take a steamy shower! In this case, you wouldn’t need replacement windows—you’d simply need better moisture management techniques. Only when condensation occurs between the panes themselves does it signal an issue with the seal.
Dastardly Drafts
Nothing is more irritating than a chilly draft when you’re trying to cozy up on the couch, and if you have a draft, it could signal window problems—though again, not necessarily. Drafts can come from many places aside from window seals, according to the EPA. You’ll need to pursue specialized draft-finding measures to determine if the seal is the problem, or contact a window contractor to help you assess the situation.
Your Windows Are Constantly Dirty
And you can’t get them clean! A broken seal allows grime, dirt, and goodness-knows-what-else to accumulate between the panes, where even the most resourceful cleaner can’t reach. If your windows are sparkling inside and out, but they still seem foggy and discolored, chances are you’ll need the help of a window replacement company.
Haggerty Windows & Siding: One Family Business for All of Your Home Remodeling Needs
Get down-home service and deep expertise with the pros at Haggerty Windows & Siding—no matter if it’s your windows, siding, or roofing that needs it. Give our Urbandale office a call today at 515-953-6999.