At Hall’s Window Center, we understand that purchasing windows is a big budget decision. We have families, too, so we understand what else the money represents: vacations, traveling sports teams, dance lessons, Saturday afternoon on the golf course.

So it’s natural to put off pulling the trigger until … well, the window fails. But your house sends warning signals long before that stage, and heeding the message can save you big bucks on damage repair:

  • You find condensation or frost between the window panes. This usually is a cry that the seal is broken. Also look for water around the frame at this time, as that’s a sign that mold, mildew or rot—and maybe all three—is close behind.
  • You can’t clean the fog off your panes. It’s yet another sign the seal has been compromised, most likely because the frame is warped, and unfortunately, this isn’t a cleaning issue. Your view is permanently affected at this stage.
  • When you touch the window glass during the summer and it is hot to the touch, and freezing when you run this same test in the winter months. Most homeowners first notice this phenomenon because they reach for a blanket to wrap up when sitting closer to a window in January.
  • The sash sticks when you try to open and close the window, or you’re a victim of the opposite: they refuse to stay open at all. Nothing makes you jump like the sound of a window thumping closed when the prop slid away. With wood windows, it means the frame is swelling; in other situations it can reveal that your foundation has shifted or the window foundation is failing. So while greasing the skids, so to speak, might work today, it’s not a solution for next month.
  • You need a stiff drink before opening your utility bill. Unfortunately, the argon gas used between layers of glass leaks out at a rate of about 1 percent per year, so your insulation return does diminish. If you’ve had those windows for 30 years, that’s a decent heating/cooling loss. If you notice condensation in the middle of the glass, you could save yourself the liquor costs—this is the earliest warning sign you’re low on gas.

Know, too, that this is a project you can spread out over several years to minimize the effect on your monthly budget. Our Hall’s Window Center crew is happy to help you find ways to approach and adjust costs to ensure your new windows in Sacramento are a joy rather than a sacrifice.