Actually, there are many more reasons someone will have their windows repaired or even replaced here in Ottawa and Gatineau. Moreover, it is normally because of a symptom such as a window that is cracked or broken, difficulty with opening, closing, or staying open, (when the window moves in a vertical direction). With these examples the cause may be a shift in the house's foundation or degraded weather stripping, which results in a number of other reasons compared to dirt in the window tracks, or the window frame is warped from excessive moisture, (having an old house with wooden frames in this case).
The Number One Indication of Degraded Weather Stripping
Moisture will cause a lot of structural damage. If your Ottawa or Gatineau house has double, triple, or single pane windows and the seal around the frame is poor, condensation will gather as a result of the difference of temperature on both sides of the glass. Where multiple paned windows exist and this occurs between the panes, the window should be replaced.
Where a single pane window is gathering moisture the seal around the frame should be checked. This has to do with the overall efficiency of the weather stripping around the window frame. When a window is difficult to open, generally it will be just as difficult to close.
This may indicate a skewed frame, if it is a wood frame, due to moisture collecting because of the degraded weather stripping. Additionally, any home, advanced in age here in Ottawa or Gatineau, the window might use weights as counter balances, connected by rope that has rotted. This will cause difficulty with opening and shutting.
The Major Cause of Difficulty with Opening or Shutting a Window
The biggest instigator is the structure around the window frame. If any shift has taken place, it will cause the frame to shift as well. The shift means that the window frame is no longer square, which will make is difficult to operate in the normal fashion. Shifts in the structure of a home can stem from situations caused by extreme weather conditions.
When the soil around your Ottawa house shifts, the foundation shifts. This changes the dynamics of the structure and degrades the integrity of the whole building. Identifying this situation means that windows on one or two adjacent sides of the building are difficult to operate when windows on the opposing side work fine.
While this is a major concern for a homeowner, more times than not the reasons behind having to replace your windows will stem from poor or degraded weather stripping. This condition causes a temperature difference causing the window to crack or skew, (another word for shift), changing the ease of operation. An annual inspection of the weather stripping around your windows will ensure its integrity, allowing immediate action if an issue is located.
You can trust on these Gatineau and Ottawa Windows specialist Centennial Glass or Vitrerie de la Vallée to increase value of your house.
You can trust on these Gatineau and Ottawa Windows specialist Centennial Glass or Vitrerie de la Vallée to increase value of your house.
