Preventing Cracks in Your Windows

When you think about cracks in your windows, you generally think about that odd and unfortunate incident when an errant rock flies at your car and you’re left with a tiny crack that can quickly escalate and turn into a much larger problem. In fact, we’ve written about it on the blog before, but in the spirit of offering you a better view, we like to get ahead of problems like this – especially related to your home. The weather is getting warmer, but bad instances know no seasons and this knowledge is applicable 365 days a year. The Valley Windows team shares tips on preventing cracked windows at home:

Of important note for both your car and your home, take care of it early. We can’t stress this enough. While a crack may seem small and insignificant right now, there are a myriad of extraneous forces that can be catalysts for much larger damage down the road – tough on your mental state and definitely tough on your wallet. (Bonus tough points if it’s a cold winter and your window decides to splinter on you, increasing your heating bill or at least forcing you to drag out your heaviest coats and accessories to get you through the day).

The words of the day are caulking and weather stripping. Let’s talk about caulking first.

First, you’ll want to scrape off any old caulk. Do this now, there are a multitude of benefits, even beyond preparing your windows for the worst. You’ll then want to dry the surface and ensure it’s perfectly cleaned before you apply new caulk. Think of it like when you paint a new surface – especially an exterior one like your windowsills or your front door. You don’t want to simply paint over the damage or the previous chapter, you want to start anew.

Go for the good stuff when it comes to caulk. You want exterior grade; you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t. You’ll want to apply the caulk (this is a job you can do yourself, although if you’re uncomfortable, the Valley Windows team is happy to help or offer recommendations to support) right around the perimeter of the window. This creates a seal between the siding of your home and the window frame, making it stronger than ever.

Now let’s head inside, where weather stripping is very helpful. If you walk into your local hardware store, it will be a quick and easy conversation with recommendations, as it’s a very common home renovation and maintenance project. You’ll take the weather stripping and apply it around any part of the window that opens and closes. Fun fact – which you’ve either read in one of our previous posts or will certainly see in a future one – this is called the sash. With weather stripping, you’ll seal in the right air to your home.

Between the two of these processes, you’re making your windows stronger than ever, and weak windows are most susceptible to cracks.

Just with these two tips, you’re well on your way to healthy windows and a better view.

*Image source: TrueValue