Getting Your Windows Ready for a Michigan Winter

Once the leaves start coming down, it is a good time to take a close look at your windows. A Michigan winter is hard on them. Cold air finds every gap, ice works its way into cracks, and small problems that were easy to ignore in July start to show up on your heating bill and on the glass itself. A little attention in the fall can save you from a drafty, foggy winter.

Here is a simple walk-around you can do yourself. Most of it needs nothing more than your eyes and your hands.

Check the weather stripping

Weather stripping is the flexible seal where the moving part of the window meets the frame. Over time it flattens, cracks, tears or pulls loose. When that happens, the window can be shut and locked and still let cold air through.

• Open each window and look at the strips along the sides, top and bottom. They should be soft and springy, not hard, flat or crumbling.
• On a windy day, hold the back of your hand near the edges of a closed window. If you feel a steady draft, the seal is not doing its job.
• Look for daylight around the sash when the window is closed. If you can see light, air is getting in too.

Worn weather stripping is one of the most common reasons a room feels cold even when the windows themselves are in decent shape. Replacing it is usually a much smaller job than replacing the window.

Look at the caulking outside

Walk around the outside of the house and look where the window frame meets the siding or brick. That joint is sealed with caulk, and caulk does not last forever. Sun, heat and freezing cold make it shrink and crack, and once it opens up, water can get behind the trim.

Watch for caulk that is cracked, peeling, pulling away on one side, or missing altogether. Pay extra attention to the bottom corners and the top of the frame, where water tends to sit. Old caulk should be removed before new caulk goes on. Putting a fresh bead over a failed one usually just hides the problem for a season.

Make sure every window closes and locks

A window that does not close all the way, or that you cannot lock, will leak air no matter how good the seals are. The lock is part of what pulls the sash tight against the weather stripping.

• Close and lock every window in the house, including the ones you never open.
• Note any lock that does not line up, feels loose, or will not turn all the way.
• On double hung windows, check that the top sash is pushed all the way up. They often slip down a little over the summer.
• On casement windows, check that the crank turns smoothly and pulls the window fully shut.

Locks, cranks and balances are hardware, and in most cases they can be replaced or adjusted without touching the rest of the window.

Look closely at the glass

Clean glass makes problems easier to spot, so this is a good time to wash the windows too. Look for cracks, chips at the edges, and any cloudy or foggy look between the panes of double pane glass. Fog you cannot wipe off from either side usually means the seal on the glass unit has failed. That glass will not insulate the way it should, and the fogging tends to get worse, not better.

Also look at the wood around the glass on older windows. Soft spots, peeling paint and dark stains near the bottom of the sash can be early signs of rot, and winter moisture makes rot spread.

When to call for help

Wiping down tracks, closing up storm windows and making a list are easy jobs for any homeowner. Some things are better left to someone who does this every day:

• Cracked or broken glass, which should be handled with care and replaced, not taped
• Fog or moisture between the panes
• Soft or rotted wood on sills, sashes or trim
• Windows that will not stay open, will not close, or will not lock
• Any window you would need a tall ladder to reach

The good news is that most of these are repairs, not replacements. Fixing the seal, the glass or the hardware on a window that is otherwise sound is often the simplest way to get through the winter comfortably.

If your walk-around turned up a few problems, send us a photo or request a free in-person quote. We serve homes and businesses across the Metro Detroit area and will reach out within 24 to 48 hours to set up a time. You can also call us at (248) 250-8000.