It is better not to postpone the replacement of windows, even when it is done, in order to save money. Sooner or later, new products will still have to be installed, but the overdue time is guaranteed to result in tangible losses.

Additional expenses mainly consist of paying inflated heating bills and spending considerable sums on maintaining old windows in satisfactory condition. To these items of expenditure, you can safely add bills for treatment of frequent colds in the autumn-winter period, which are provoked by an unsatisfactory indoor microclimate. Given the current prices for energy, medicines, and building materials for restoration, it is much more profitable to immediately use the services of window replacement Ottawa as soon as circumstances require it.

To understand when the time has come to call a measurer, you do not need to be an experienced expert in construction and repair issues. Old wooden windows that have served their time themselves signal that it’s time to change them. The following signs point to this:

1. Mold and mildew on the sashes, frame, window sill and slopes are some of the main markers indicating the need to replace windows. The uncontrolled and rapid development of microflora signals that the wooden elements of window structures are affected by microorganisms and begin to collapse. Mold and mildew not only negatively affect the aesthetic and operational characteristics of products but also pose a direct threat to health.

2. Windows fog up – if condensation regularly falls on the glass from inside and outside, then this indicates that they have ceased to cope with their basic functions. In normal conditions, wooden windows can “breathe”, and the appearance of condensation on such structures is an extremely rare phenomenon. Therefore, with regular fogging of the glasses, it is worth seriously thinking about installing new products.

3. Tightness has been lost – when even sealed sashes with seals in the places where they are adjacent to the frames still let air, dust and moisture from the street, this means that it is no longer possible to postpone the replacement of windows. Such a sign signals the final deterioration of old products.

4. Unsatisfactory aesthetic condition of windows – sometimes they say about such products that nothing can be done with them and it makes no sense to repair them, since it is easier and cheaper to replace them. Skewed cracked sashes, many layers of peeling and swollen paint in places, fallen knots and the loss of individual elements of the correct geometry of shapes – if at least half of the listed defects are found on your windows, it is not worth spending money and time on restoration attempts.

5. Incorrect functioning of fittings – old latches, hinges, and other mechanisms have an almost unlimited service life, they have nothing to break, so failures in their work indicate, first of all, serious problems with the sashes and frames. Usually, in such cases, replacing the old hardware with a new one does not bring the desired result.

However, even in cases where wooden windows have operated for a long time and look normal and function satisfactorily, they are still recommended to be replaced since they are obsolete. Such products have limited functionality, do not retain heat and noise well, are inferior to new models in aesthetics and it takes more and more time to care for them every year.

Sometimes not only old wooden windows need to be replaced but also relatively new constructions made of plastic profile systems. Most often, this is necessary due to the fact that many PVC windows from the first wave of the installation were made of low-quality components that currently have an unsatisfactory condition. The main markers are the following defects:

• Presence of cracks, chips and ruptures of mounting joints on the profile;
• Depressurization of double-glazed windows;
• The presence of distortions in any of the zones of the structure; 
• A yellowed or grayed profile; 
• An unpleasant “poisonous” smell from the windows.

The purchase of used plastic window structures allows you to save a substantial amount of money. Second-hand products are available on the market in a large assortment: you can buy used windows of any size, colors and configurations. This is an alternative to new designs because not everyone is able to afford to buy them.

It happens that windows require urgent replacement, and there is nowhere to get wooden ones, and I don’t want the house to look out of date. In such cases, used windows become the optimal solution. The feature of plastic windows is that they are very durable. If the manufacturer has made them in a qualitative way, they can serve more than one owner. In addition, such products have excellent technical characteristics, and they are also highly functional. You can consider both new and old options.

The first drawback of such a purchase is the need for additional restoration work. Windows need to be updated, upgraded, and in some cases, also insulated and painted. All this leads to additional costs. There is another important point — the psychological factor. If a person considers himself to be in the middle class, he will not be very pleased to realize that the budget does not allow him to purchase new products. The situation is slightly saved by the fact that the models of modern manufacturers can look like new for many years.

The appearance of building materials that allow work to be carried out at subzero temperatures allowed the installation of window structures throughout the calendar year. At the same time, each of the seasons has its pros and cons.

• 
•