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Originally Posted On: https://applycontracting.ca/avoiding-common-window-problems-with-correct-installation/
Avoiding Common Window Problems With Correct Installation
Installing new windows is a great way to improve your home’s curb appeal, but incorrect installation can quickly turn this upgrade into a costly headache. Common issues like drafts, water leaks, condensation, and difficult operation are often the result of improper initial installation, undermining the energy efficiency, comfort, and longevity your windows should provide.
In this blog, Apply Contracting Ltd’s window installation specialists guide you through recognizing and avoiding these problems by ensuring your windows are installed correctly from the start. With the right techniques and a professional at the helm of your window installation service, you can look forward to enjoying perfectly functioning, trouble-free windows for years to come.
Which Issues Can Affect a Windows Performance?
At their best, your windows offer a blend of aesthetics and functionality that offers a beautiful view, lets in natural light, improves your property’s ventilation, and insulates and protects your home from the elements.
When they’re at their worst—usually due to poor installation or excessive wear—your windows can present several issues, like:
- Air leaks
- Water leaks
- Condensation
- Difficult operation
- Frame warping
- Reduced energy efficiency
These common problems, most often caused by improper installation, undermine your window’s performance. One way to avoid air leaks is to understand the role of your window seals, which we’ll explore next.
What Does a Window Seal Do and How Does It Prevent Air Leaks?
Air leaks are a common window issue, leading to higher energy bills, moisture damage, and an uncomfortable indoor setting. To prevent these problems, it’s important to understand the role of a window seal. A window seal, also known as weather stripping or caulk, closes gaps around a window frame, creating an airtight barrier between your home’s interior and exterior.
Various types of seals, including foam, rubber, silicone, and vinyl, are flexible yet durable enough to withstand different weather conditions. These seals fill gaps during installation, forming a tight barrier that prevents airflow. Some seals also provide added insulation, helping regulate indoor temperatures.
Properly installed seals stop air leaks, reduce noise, and enhance home security by eliminating entry points for sound and intruders. While seals can prevent air from entering your home, windows must also be protected against water infiltration.
Let’s examine how waterproofing techniques can help you avoid costly water damage.
Waterproofing Your Windows: How Do You Avoid Water Damage?
Water leaks and water damage can affect the integrity of your home’s structure. One common area where these problems occur is around your windows. Improper installation or improper maintenance of your window frames, sills, and trim can lead to water seeping in, causing damage to surrounding walls and floors.
Proper window waterproofing will help you avoid the costly consequences of water damage.
Here’s how to prevent water from entering your building through your windows:
- Choose high-quality materials: The first step in creating waterproof windows is using high-quality materials. Your window frames and sills should be made of durable, rot and warp-resistant materials like vinyl, fiberglass, or aluminum.
- Proper installation: Even with high-quality materials, proper installation is required to keep water out. Ensure your windows are installed by licensed contractors who thoroughly understand best practices for waterproofing techniques.
- Apply caulk correctly: Caulk forms a watertight barrier between window frames and walls that blocks moisture from getting into your home. However, if caulk is improperly applied or becomes damaged, it can lead to leaks and eventually cause water damage.
- Clamp flashing: Flashing consists of thin strips of metal or rubber placed along the top and sides of your window during installation to create a seal against rainwater intrusion. It creates an extra layer of protection against moisture penetration around perimeter openings.
- Maintain regular window seal inspections: To catch water leaks before they happen, you should regularly inspect all seals on your windows for signs of wear, tear, or gaps. These subtle indicators add up to major problems as moisture creeps into vulnerable points.
How Do You Prevent Window Condensation?
Condensation appears as a fog-like layer of moisture that clouds your window and makes it difficult to see in or out. It happens when warm, humid air inside your home meets the colder surface of your window, causing water droplets to form. Installing insulated windows is one of the most effective ways to prevent condensation.
Insulated windows, often double- or triple-paned, feature a layer of inert gas sandwiched between the panes. This gas acts as a barrier, reducing heat transfer and maintaining a consistent temperature on both sides of your window. This temperature stability prevents the drastic differences that typically lead to condensation.
Insulated windows often come with special coatings that further reduce moisture buildup, ensuring clearer, condensation-free windows even during temperature fluctuations.
Why Does Window Alignment Matter?
Window alignment is a major part of ease of use and optimal performance. Misaligned windows can cause issues with closing and opening and premature wear on your window’s components. Proper alignment ensures your window fits snugly within its frame, creating an airtight seal and allowing smooth operation.
Seasoned window installers use proven techniques to achieve perfect alignment. They start by leveling and squaring your window opening to make sure your frame is even and straight. Then, they carefully adjust your window’s position before securing it, checking for gaps or misalignments. Shims may come in handy to fine-tune the fit, and once installation is complete, your technician will test your window to guarantee it opens and closes easily without sticking or dragging.
Proper alignment also helps you circumvent another common issue: frame warping. When windows are not installed correctly, the stress on the frame can cause warping.
How Does Improper Installation Lead to Window Frame Warping?
When you place uneven pressure on a window’s structure, it can lead to frame warping, which makes it hard to open and shut your window. When your window isn’t installed level or square the first time, its frame is subject to stress and strain beyond what it’s designed to handle. This imbalance causes your window’s frame to bend and twist, creating a warped casing.
Using code-complaint window installation techniques and testing your new window’s function afterward ensure an even weight distribution and a secure, moisture-resistant fit.
How Do You Window Installers Help You Maximize Energy Efficiency?
Choosing reputable window installers connects you with solutions to maximize your home’s energy efficiency, stop air leaks, and prevent hot or cold air from escaping. Trained technicians are aware of all the pitfalls of poor-quality window installations. That’s why they go the extra mile to stop these problems from cropping up.
Avoid Window Repair Expenses: Hire a Window Installation Company
The last thing you want to do after paying for new windows is fork over more money for premature repairs. Rather than doing it yourself, taking your business to a local window installation company is wise.
It’s worth it when you don’t have to worry about trying to solve problems with leaks, water damage, and energy loss. Plus, you can maintain manufacturer warranties (where applicable) and access all the help you need to choose products that complement your home’s architectural style.
Are you ready to upgrade your home with new windows? Apply Contracting Ltd is here to help you steer clear of common installation pitfalls. Call (519) 744-6888 now to book an initial consultation appointment, and let us install your windows the right way the first time.
