When winter arrives, you don’t want a leak in your windows or doors to cause precious heat to escape from your home. A leaky window can be a major culprit in energy loss and that means you’ll be losing money and straining your HVAC system too. Keep your energy costs down with new windows and doors, or by repairing the ones you have if possible.
Northern Windows and Doors Inc. in Edmonton offers high-quality windows and doors. They share more information on how to detect a leaky window and when you might require a window replacement.
Give your windows and doors a visual inspection.
Look closely at all the windows in your house, from the inside and the outside. Look around the seals for visible openings, cracked or damaged caulking and weather stripping. If you can see the air outside through a crack in your window frame, it’s obvious where the problem lies. In some cases, the seal can be repaired. If the crack exists because the window frame itself has warped, you should contact Northern Windows & Doors about a replacement.
If your windows and doors don’t have a visible leak, but you can still feel a draft, check other seals around the house including outdoor faucets, chimneys, sliding doors, vents, fans and even gas or cable entrances. Essentially, if there is cold air coming in from any of these sources, it will need to be resealed.
Try the flame and smoke test.
Close all the windows and doors in the house and make sure no fans are running. Then light incense or a candle and move it around the window frame or door frame. Try to keep the flame as vertical as possible.
If you see the smoke or flame being sucked outward or blown inward anywhere alone the frame, it means you have a leak. Clean the area to make sure it wasn’t dirt keeping the frame from sealing properly. If the problem persists, you’ll have to replace the seal or inquire about a window replacement.
Use a infrared thermometer.
An infrared thermometer can measure the air temperature around your house, including around your windows and doors. It can determine if there is a sudden temperature drop around a certain window or area of that window, detecting and pinpointing leaks.
If you have older wooden frame or aluminum slider windows, you likely only have a pane or two of inefficient glass protecting your home from the cold outside. Older windows do not have the same thermal properties that today’s advanced energy efficient windows have. If you feel uncomfortable in your home, are paying more than you should for energy or see that your old windows are noticeably damaged, it is time for a window replacement.
Window Companies in Edmonton
Northern Windows and Doors offers over 20 years of industry experience and can help you with all your window and door needs. Serving Edmonton and surrounding rural areas, they offer a wide range of ENERGY STAR certified, energy efficient windows and doors in a variety of types and styles. They’re also the experts when it comes to bow and bay window installation and can help enlarge or cut out a new window in your basement.
Think its time you replaced your leaky windows? Contact Northern Windows and Doors!
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