November 11, 2014
Winters in Rochester are no picnic in the park; like much of the Northeast, we experience snow and sleet and cold, humid temperatures that can cut to the bone. But when we’re in our own homes, we don’t want to have to deal with that. We want to be able to feel comfortable and warm without being invaded by Mother Nature. Therefore, we need quality windows and doors that can keep the cold out.
Reasons Why Poor Windows and Doors Will Let in the Cold
Poor Insulation
If your windows and doors don’t keep the home properly insulated, they need to be replaced. For starters, if the window has only a single pane of glass, the thin glass isn’t going to provide much insulation in the cold and snowy Rochester winters. You need the extra insulation provided by double or triple pane glass. And a paper thin, hollow door isn’t going to provide much insulation against the cold. Furthermore, thin glass windows can actually freeze shut or open, causing damage to the frame. Thus, cold air will be coming in whether or not you want it to. Doors can cause even more cold to come in if they’re not properly insulated. Particularly in places where the weather gets cold, wood doors and door frames can warp over time, causing the door to separate from its traditionally fitted spot within the frame. This leaves about an eighth of an inch thick crack all around the door, which lets in cold air.
Drafty Conditions
As another example, if there’s a leak in your window or door, it’ll let in cold drafts of air as well as water from snow and rain. This can cause mold damage to both the window or door frame and the wall, which will lead to more costly repairs if they are not replaced soon.
Compromised Window Seal
Sometimes in a window with multiple panes of glass, the inert gasses between them are lost because the window seal has been compromised, allowing condensation or fog to leak between the panes. This removes much of the insulation power of the window, causing you to need replacement windows to keep the home insulated. If you haven’t noticed condensation or fog but you have noticed a white film on the glass, that likely means there has been calcium deposited by condensation. The window should be replaced because it’s going to let in the cold and cost you extra in energy bills.
How Quality Windows and Doors Will Keep the Cold Out
Weather Proofing Your Doors
If that crack around your door is letting in cold air, there’s nothing like a little weather stripping to fix the problem. Wonder Windows professionals can install it at your convenience for an affordable price. More importantly, we can install new doors that are situated properly in their frames to prevent cold air from getting in.
Double Pane and Triple Pane Glass for Windows
A single pane window will let in a lot of cold, but double or triple pane windows add additional layers of glass to insulate your home from the cold. With inert gasses between the panes, these windows will not allow condensation or air to get inside and leak into the home. If you’re still relying on the original windows from your 1960s-era home, you need to get them replaced to save you from exposure to the cold and to save your bank account from costly bills.
Energy Efficient in Fitted Frames
Brand new energy efficient windows and doors will have quality frames with which they are well fitted. With new ones installed, there’s no problem of windows hanging off-balance in their frames or doors fitting loosely on the hinges. Energy efficiency will be the solution, and keeping the cold out will be the result.
Keeping the cold out shouldn’t mean that we have to live in bomb shelters or places where there are no windows to look out of or doors to get in and out through. Simply installing new windows and doors from Wonder Windows can keep you warm and comfortable in your home without any effort at all.
