The windows of you home are comparable to the stepdaughter in a Disney-themed motion picture — overworked, neglected and not appreciated. Think about it. You mop your floors and vacuum the stairs, but when was the last time you checked to make sure your windows were in good condition? This disregard often leads to problems that are never repaired, which in turn only makes the problems worse.
Luckily, Stan Grabowski, the manager of the New Jersey-based company Small Home Repairs LLC, does notice your windows and he knows how they should be maintained and how they can be repaired. Here, he shares some of that knowledge.
How should windows be maintained?
Your windows don’t require much attention. In fact, for the most part, you can ignore them. But, be sure to check them ocassionally to see what upkeep can be done. The best preventative measures are to make sure that they are properly caulked so that the window fits snugly in your walls, and that the windowsills and trim are always painted.
You have to keep in mind, says Grabowski, that your windows are subjected to all types of weather conditions. Since they usually protrude from the wall, they are constantly taking on sunshine, rain and even snow. So, they are the first part of your home to be affected by the weather, and it shows. One smart step that he recommends for every homeowner is to get the windowsills on the outside of your home cased with aluminum. Even homes where the siding is wood could use this improvement, he says, and many colors of aluminum are available with matching caulk. In fact, Grabowski says that he and his team have been doing this type of work for over 25 years, and in every instance, you would never know that the sills had been cased with aluminum.
What are common problems associated with windows?
The most common window repairs that Grabowski says his company is contacted for are the deterioration of the sills. In some instances, where the sills have not been maintained and repairs went ignored, what happens, he says, is that the deterioration actually spreads. And soon, the wood casings of the entire window will eventually need to be replaced.
Can windowsills be restored?
When you are restoring a window, you want to rebuild the window casing or sill as close as possible to the original condition, explains Grabowski. The windows found in older homes have sills that are sometimes two inches thick, as opposed to newer windows where the sills may be 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches in thickness, he says. Because of these variations, and taking into consideration the amount of damage that has already occurred to the window, a new sill can be made on site from a new piece of lumber. But, because you still want the one you are repairing to match the rest of your home’s windows, it’s important that the job is done with precise attention to detail.
