Replacement Windows Case Studies: 3 Signs of a Poor Window Installation

Challenge

Installing new windows isn’t a cheap venture. Not only does your total cost include top notch windows, there’s also labor costs. So when you’re paying that much for a window installation, it’s important to know that the windows were installed correctly and to the highest standard.

Here are 3 ways to identify a poor window installation.

1. You can feel a draft

You can get windows made to fit any home and space, so it’s hard to imagine that if it’s made to fit perfectly you can still get a draft, but a poor installation could result in cracks or a compromised window.

You should trust that the window installers are experts, so if they miss a moisture problem and just put in a new window without dealing with the real underlying problems, you might be facing a lot of costly issues down the line.

There are a few ways to identify a draft. One is to look for condensation between the panes. This would mean that a seal was broken, allowing moisture is and that insulating argon gas can escape significantly dropping your window’s performance. Also look at the weatherstripping that was applied. Is it bent or damaged? Is there a sufficient amount? You can also take a look at your energy bills to see if they are higher than expected. If heat or cool air can escape through your window, your heating and cooling units will have to work harder to compensate.

2. The window doesn’t operate properly

If an installer doesn’t follow the guidelines of the window manufacturer or installs the wrong sash size, it could lead to poor operation. This means opening, closing, and locking will be significantly more difficult. This could actually impact the security of your home and should be taken care of asap.

The best way to check for this would be to just test out your windows. Do they get stuck when you try to open or close them? Do they creak or make other strange noises? Upon installing a new window, they should run pretty smoothly.

3. You can see moisture damage

There are a couple reasons that you’d see visible moisture damage around your window. It could be that the installer didn’t install proper flashing, maybe they didn’t apply a water resistant underlayment barrier properly, it could really be a number of reasons.

If you can see streaks or water damage around the window, you should definitely have a professional check it out and determine the cause. That water damage could lead to rot, seal failure, and several other problems that just get more and more costly as you wait.

Solution

Window installations really aren’t a short, cheap project, so when you undertake this type of project, you really want it done right the first time.

We at Exteriors by Global Home pride ourselves in our outstanding track record of expert installations. For complete assurance you’d be getting the highest quality window installation, give us a call.