Elm City Home Inspections, LLC

Home Maintenance Tip of the Month:

Gasket Failures in Vinyl Replacement Windows

Replacement windows can be a big improvement to an older home, if you've been contending with broken sash cords, drafts, top sash stuck shut in a slightly open position, old triple track storm windows that can be almost impossible to clean, and other problems that I see every day in the Elm City.  (If you love the look of the old wavy glass, you may be able to have your old windows repaired, or learn to do it yourself - but that's a topic for another day!)

On the other hand, there are a lot of cheap replacement windows out there.  Also, rapid product development cycles and new technologies sometimes result in failures, until the bugs get worked out with each new type of window.  If you buy a home with replacement windows, it's important to make sure you are getting what you pay for.

The gaskets between the panes are one place to look carefully for signs of trouble.  Sometimes they even swell or creep into the picture, so that they are unmissable!  But after I first saw a few truly bulging or twisted gaskets, I learned to look for earlier stages of the same problem.  Cracks across the surface from pane to pane, and gentle expansion that curves the gasket surface, may forecast seal failures and a ruined appearance to come.  When one window is bad, often every window or a majority of windows in the home have the same problem.  Replacing the sash (or sometimes the whole window) is the only fix.

As a home buyer, you would want to find out whether the defective replacement windows are under warranty and whether the warranty will be transferable to you as the new owner.

Margaret

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