Drafty windows are unfortunately quite common, partially since they can be caused by several root factors or issues. Today, let’s break down some of the most common causes of drafty windows and explore what you can do about it to save money on your energy bill and improve your house’s market value.
Drafty Windows: Weather-Based Expansion and Contraction
Lots of windows are made from materials like wood, fiberglass, or vinyl. Poorly manufactured (or installed) windows can be affected by hot and cold weather. Specifically, they can expand and contract in hot or cold weather, respectively, which changes the shapes of window frames made with these materials.
Normally, this isn’t a major problem. But over time, expansion and contraction due to hot or cold air (as well as ambient humidity) can increase the risk of cracking or warping. If a window frame cracks or warps, moisture can eventually seep into the small crevices and cracks. The cracks might also be wide enough to allow airflow in and out of your house.
This can, in turn, allow mold to grow. Given enough time, the mold may compromise your windows’ seals or lead to other issues later down the road. In the worst-case scenarios, weather-based expansion and contraction could cause your windows to no longer fit in their frames, necessitating full-scale window replacement (possibly with another window frame material entirely).
Window Seal Problems
Alternatively, your windows might be drafty because of problems with their seals. More specifically, most modern windows have weather strips that act as barriers against energy lofts and drafts as well as seals in each window sash. Surface-level damaged or poorly constructed window spacers can cause weatherstrips to become cracked or dislodged from their regular positions or a thermal pane failure.
Naturally, this may cause air to slip through in one direction or both, preventing your home’s temperature from staying stable and resulting in window condensation.
Drafty Windows: Single-Pane Glass
Some homeowners have primarily single-pane glass windows. The single-pane glass looks fine, but it’s not as insulating as multi-pane windows. Because of this, some of your windows (those with just one pane of glass) will feel colder or draftier compared to other windows on your property. There’s no way to fix this aside from replacing the window.
Multi-Pane Glass Leaks
But even if you have multi-pane glass windows, you might still feel a draft coming from some of them. Glass windows with multiple panes keep an insulating gas like argon or krypton in between individual layers. This helps keep your house’s temperature regulated over time.
If the glass panes are misaligned in some way, if the spacer bar fails, or if there is some other leak such as from a crack, the argon gas will escape. This will lower the insulation of the window and make it feel draftier than normal.
Drafty Windows: Hire Expert Window Replacement Contractors
As you can see, you might have drafty windows thanks to several common causes. It can be tough to narrow down the exact draftiness problems your windows are suffering from by yourself. That’s why you should hire experienced window replacement contractors like HX Home Solutions.
As local window replacement experts for Chicagoland homeowners, we’ve seen all types of drafty windows and can help you identify the major issues affecting your home quickly and capably. Once we’ve identified those issues, we can recommend window replacements, whether you need to replace just the glass panes on windows or need full-on window replacements with their frames as well.
Plus, we can give you a free estimate and walk you through the process from start to finish. If you have drafty windows, don’t wait; contact HX Home Solutions today and let us take care of it for you!
