Guest Post by Chris Brever, Owner of Window Doctor of Colorado
If you live in Denver’s Central Park, you’ve probably found yourself wondering about your windows at some point.
These thoughts might have been curious wonderings about why some don’t easily slide open, why they might slam shut, or pondering what the odd streaks and staining between your glass might be.
Even worse, you might have heard horror stories of sitting through 4+ hour sales presentations only to hear that you need to replace all your windows to the tune of $100k+!
Never fear, Window Doctor is here to help address your window concerns.
Window Doctor is unique in that we’ve been working in Denver and Central Park for years, and we have the resources and expertise to help service and extend the life of your existing windows as well as the ability to manage the full replacement of your windows when the time is right.
Here are three of the top issues I’ve found in the many windows that I encounter throughout Central Park every day:
1. Failed Window Balances
Most windows originally used throughout Central Park rely on lower cost components to help your single hung (think up and down operation) windows work. Over time these parts wear out and fail. Most homeowners will experience that the windows are very difficult to push up, they don’t stay up and fall right back down, or they see the sash misaligned or silver parts falling down the side.
Fortunately, this is an issue that can be repaired and by repairing can save significantly versus the cost of replacement. With a quick inspection we can easily identify the issue and address it with either an adjustment or part replacement.
2. Failed Insulated Glass Units
Looking through your windows shouldn’t come with a built-in fog effect. That fog, staining, condensation, or extra colors is indicative of a failure of the insulated glass unit (the dual pane glass component that you look through on your window).
The hermetic seal between the two panes of glass and spacer that make up your insulated glass unit (“IGU”) can fail over time, which allows naturally occurring water vapor to intrude and condensate causing that staining. This issue can occur over time and is more prevalent at the higher altitude here in the Denver area.
Fortunately, this too is a relatively straightforward fix. This IGU can be replaced leaving the window otherwise intact. For a few hundred dollars the issue can be remedied versus shelling out thousands for a new window.
It’s worth noting though that it is important that the company you choose to work with is consultative in the project as in some cases such as multiple failed units in the same window, more costly features, or differing goals or longevity in the home then replacement may have a better bang for the buck.
3. Failed Casement or Awning Window Hardware
Do your casement or awning windows open, but the hardware doesn’t seem to pull them closed? Does the hardware come apart during normal operation?
You may have an issue with the hardware, or you may have an issue with the window.
These issues can be more complex and it’s important to have a trusted company inspect the issue to provide you with the proper recommendation. In some cases, this issue can be attributed to a breakdown in the hardware alone. This can be an easy fix and for a few hundred dollars your window will be back to working good as new.
In other cases, the operable sash has warped, sagged, or bowed. In this case, hardware alone will not remedy the issue and full replacement should be considered.
Ultimately, it’s important for all Central Park homeowners to give some thought to their window plan. Thoughtful repairs can be considered to help extend the life of the windows you have. In the end though, all vinyl windows can reasonably be expected to last anywhere from 10-25 years on average.
The builder grade windows commonly used in Central Park likely fall somewhere on the lower end of that range. With many Central Park neighborhood buildings creeping closer to that 20-year mark, replacement will become a common reality.
Rest assured that trusted, qualified partners like Window Doctor can help address these issues with a high-level of service and a fair price without forcing you through a never-ending sales pitch or the need to take a second mortgage to pay for it.
