7 Signs It's Time to Replace Your Windows

Windows rarely fail all at once. They fail a little at a time — and your heating bill pays the difference. After 30+ years replacing windows across Orland Park and Chicago's south suburbs, these are the seven signs we see most often.

1. You feel a draft — even when the window is locked. Hold your hand near the frame on a cold day. If you feel moving air, the seal between the sash and frame has worn out. Weatherstripping helps for a season. It does not fix the problem.

2. Fog or condensation between the panes. Moisture trapped inside double-pane glass means the insulated seal has failed and the gas fill that made the window efficient is gone. That window is now insulating your home about as well as a single pane. The glass can sometimes be replaced, but on an older window it is rarely worth it.

3. Windows that stick, or won't stay open. Sashes that need a shoulder to open — or slam shut on their own — usually mean the frame has warped or the balance hardware has failed. Beyond the annoyance, a window you can't open easily is a safety issue in an emergency.

4. Rising heating and cooling bills. Heating and cooling drive the biggest share of a Chicagoland utility bill, and leaky windows are one of the most common reasons. If your bills keep climbing and your furnace checks out fine, look at your windows next.

5. Soft, rotted, or peeling frames. Press on the wood around the frame. If it gives, water has gotten in — and what you can see is usually smaller than what you can't. Rot spreads to sills, trim, and the wall itself.

6. You hear everything outside. Traffic, dogs, the neighbor's mower. Older single-pane and worn double-pane windows do almost nothing for sound. New double- or triple-pane windows make a difference you notice the first day.

7. The glass is cold to the touch in winter. Stand by your window in January. If the room feels colder within a few feet of the glass, the window is pulling heat out of your home all day, every day.

How many signs are too many? One sign on one window might be a repair. Two or more signs — or the same sign on several windows — and replacement almost always costs less over the next ten years than patching and paying higher bills. If you're not sure, have someone look. We do free, no-pressure assessments across the south suburbs.