In order to truly protect your house, you need to practice proper window maintenance. You should be regularly completing home window inspections to make sure that your windows are up to snuff.
Windows are useful because they guard the interior of your house against extreme temperatures, debris, pollen, dust, water, and people who want to break into your home.
We’ve come up with a checklist of window maintenance tips to help you keep your windows in working order throughout the year.
Table of Contents
General Window Maintenance
Some window maintenance is associated with seasonal conditions. However, some of the maintenance needs to happen every couple of months, no matter what the weather outside is like.
Clean
No matter what time of year it is, your windows are going to get dirty as they continue to face the elements. When it comes time to clean the windows, you need to remember to only use a non-abrasive or all-purpose cleaner. This can be something like warm water and liquid dish detergent or a specific product.
Glass Panes
Glass panes are a fairly obvious type to point out. If your window panes are dirty, then your whole house could suddenly look a lot dirtier too.
In order to clean the window panes, you should put some non-abrasive cleaner on a paper towel or a cloth and gently wipe down your windows, both inside and out. Washing your windows gently will keep the panes in good condition.
Make sure that you don’t pressure wash your windows. This can break the seal and also wear down the film. In order to finish cleaning glass panes, get a dry cloth and wipe down the windowpane.
You can use polish or glass cleaner to get rid of any streaks that were left from your cleaning.
Seals, Caulking, and Casings
Every window is going to be surrounded by a window casing. This is usually to give it a decorative style as the finishing touch of the installation.
the casing is bound to the frame of the window with seals and caulking that need to be cleaned regularly. When you can keep this area clean, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of dirt that builds up along the window parts that could potentially lead to jams.
You should clean this area in a similar way to how you clean the window itself. Use non-abrasive cleaners but dust beforehand so that you can thoroughly clean the window.
Sashes
The sash is the piece of the window that holds the panes together and lets the window move down and up as you close and open it. These components can be cleaned with non-abrasive cleaning products as well.
To clean them properly, apply the cleaner to a spare toothbrush or a soft scrubbing brush and then gently brush at the area. Do this until all of the grime and dirt is gone. Dry the area with a paper towel or a cloth.
Tracks
The window track runs along the sides and bottom of the window. This is a common spot where debris, grime, moisture, and dirt, build up. This is even more true if the bottom sash is usually open.
You should use an all-purpose cleaner to gently scrub the area with a paper towel. For areas that are smaller and more difficult to clean, you can use a toothbrush to make it easier.
Just make sure that you clean both the vertical and horizontal tracks.
Screens
Grime, dirt, pollen, and dust can collect on screens just like how they can on other parts of the window. This means that you need to clean the screens regularly.
In order to get rid of the dirt that collects on the window screens, you want to pop each screen out and place them on a flat surface in your driveway, patio, or deck.
Then, apply the same non-abrasive cleaner to your screens. Pass your paper towel or cloth over the screen gently. Do this until you feel that the screens are clean.
You don’t want to be too aggressive when you clean. If you are, then you could ruin the screen.
Hardware
Keeping your window hardware maintained will ensure that the windows are going to keep working as expected. Cleaning locks and clasps can stop jams and also decrease the speed at which your windows experience wear and tear.
Wipe down the hardware gently with a household cleaner. Then, apply polish or lubricant to keep each component moving smoothly.
Window Inspection
Cleaning alone isn’t going to keep your windows properly maintained. Regular and purposeful window inspections are needed to find any possible problems.
The longer you wait to fix a problem, the worse it’s going to get. You should also consider contacting a company like Renewal by Andersen Windows to help replace your windows if they are very old or damaged.
Panes
You should check your window panes for signs of moisture. For example, see if you notice condensation between the panes.
This shows that the seal has broken somewhere around the frame of the window or the pane. This needs to be fixed.
A failed or broken seal will lower the insulation capacity of your window. This can lead to higher heating and cooling costs as your HVAC system attempts to keep things regulated.
Screens
Tears, holes, and rips mean that water, dirt, and bugs can get into your house. Inspect and replace window screens on a regular basis in order to keep outdoor things outside.
Regularly inspect the spine that holds the screen to the frame is also smart.
Seals, Caulking, and Casing
Windows are the barriers between the inside and outside of your house. Seals, caulking, and casings are the front line of defense to maintaining comfort in your home.
If they break, you’ll let moisture into your home. This can lead to mildew and mold.
Hardware and Mechanics
Many windows are built to move. Inspect the mechanics and hardware that allow the window to move is needed to extend the life of your window.
Summer Window Maintenance
When it comes to summer window maintenance, you want to check the caulking and seals. Broken seals will let hot air into the house. Cold, conditioned air will also get out.
Cleaning and inspecting the seals around the windows is going to let you know if there are any problems that need to be fixed.
You should also get rid of any debris on the window panes and screens.
Fall Window Maintenance
Before the temperature drops, you want to make sure that your windows are properly sealed up. Over time, the natural expansion of windows within their frames can make gaps and lead to warping.
As the weather gets colder, you should make sure that there aren’t any gaps in the window frames or casing that can allow drafts to get into your house.
Because caulking can’t be set when it’s too hot or cold, fall is the perfect time to update old caulking.
Winter Window Maintenance
If you live in an area that experiences heavy snowstorms, your screens might get damaged. You should install storm windows over the screens in order to protect them and to also add an extra layer of insulation.
As the warm air inside of your house meets the cold air outside the windows, condensation will build up. If you notice condensation on your windows, open them briefly every so often to let the humidity out.
You can also get yourself a dehumidifier to help reduce the amount of condensation.
Spring Window Maintenance
If you live somewhere that experiences intense spring storms, then you should install storm windows to add a layer of protection. This is especially true for older windows that might have broken seals. This is also going to stop moisture from getting into your house.
After the weather starts to warm up, you should wash the panes and screens to get rid of any dirt that accumulated.
The Importance of Knowing How to Maintain Your Windows
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now understand the importance of window inspections and window maintenance. Keeping your windows properly maintained will keep your home safe and your energy bills low. Just make sure that you don’t get too rough when you clean your windows so that you can preserve their integrity.
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