8 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Home’s Windows

December 9th, 2021

Being a homeowner is a rewarding experience, but it can be tough to keep up on routine maintenance. Your home is much like your car: it requires regular maintenance to keep you comfortable and safe. Also like your car, unless you bought your home brand new, you don’t know the modifications or repairs performed by the previous owner. Something many homeowners overlook is taking care of their windows. Window replacement can solve problems in your home you didn’t even know were caused by faulty or outdated glass or window hardware. Make sure to read up on these eight signs that it’s time to replace windows in your home.

Damage

A windowpane doesn’t need to look like it survived a meteor impact to need replacement. Even one thin crack in a pane of window glass weakens the strength of the whole window. Many homes built before the early 2000s have single-pane windows, which are especially vulnerable to cracks. Modern windows are double-pane, which provide an additional layer of glass to strengthen the window as a whole. Additionally, watch out for damage to your window frames. Soft or decaying wood is an indicator that the frame is not doing its job. Chipped paint on a window frame may seem like no big deal, but it can be a sign of chips in the structure of the frame itself and is worth a closer look. A window is only as strong as its frame, and your frames should be solid and secure.

Moisture

Good windows are built to keep the elements out of your home. If you see beads of water or a buildup of fog between layers of glass or notice moisture on the insides of your windows, they are not doing their job. An easy way to check for moisture problems is to feel the window from inside the house. Panes of glass shouldn’t be especially hot or cold to the touch from inside, and they shouldn’t be wet. Poor installation can cause gaps, and spaces that cause moisture buildup or windows installed long ago might have experienced excessive wear. Regardless of the cause, this kind of moisture is a sign you need a window replacement as soon as possible.

Loss of Functionality

It is an irritating everyday struggle to have to wrestle with closing and opening old windows. If your windows are a challenge to open and close, don’t stay open or closed, have missing or broken locks, or just don’t work the way you want them to, it might be time to get them replaced. Damaged windows can severely hurt your home’s security. According to statistics collected by the FBI, 23% of reported burglaries in the United States in 2020 happened via window entry. You can safeguard against this happening to you by ensuring your windows aren’t a weak spot.

Drafts

Drafty windows can be easy to find if you feel a breeze every time you stand near your window. A draft happens because there is a gap somewhere between the window and the frame or between the frame and the wall of your home. Other ways to tell if you might have a draft are if your curtains dance around the room when the windows are closed, or you find yourself reaching for a sweater even with the heat on. These drafts mean you wind up turning up the heat in the winter and cranking the AC in the summer. This is not only a sign your windows need to be replaced but also a cause of the next scenario, which is…

High Energy Bills

Have you been shocked at the cost of your heating bill? Do the summers seem unbearably hot as your air conditioning unit works itself harder and harder? Poor insulation caused by old or damaged windows could be the culprit. The double panes in modern windows provide more protection from the elements and are also often insulated with argon or krypton gas between layers. This gas provides an additional barrier that keeps heat in during the winter and out during the summer. Energy.gov states that replacing windows can save a homeowner anywhere between 10-25% on their energy bills. Savings on heating and cooling costs add up big time month to month and can make a huge difference over the years. More energy-efficient windows are also a way to cut back on your carbon footprint. Better window insulation in a house heated by gas, for instance, cuts back on the amount of gas used, helping make the world a greener place.

Noise

Noise can enter your home through walls, doors, and — you guessed it — windows. If you live on a busy street or have noisy neighbors, your windows may be letting in more sound than you realize. Another reason double-pane windows are a superior choice is their noise reduction properties. Two layers of glass with space between them block more noise than a single layer with no sound-insulating qualities. Another reason noise might come in through windows is ill-fitting frames or gaps between frames and glass. Even a small gap, invisible to the naked eye, can make a big difference. If you’re looking to reduce the noise entering your home, consider window replacement as a potential solution.

Exposure to Weather

If extreme weather events happen in your area, you may be in dire need of a window replacement. Gaps, cracks, or fractures in windows enable strong winds to blow straight through a house, and if there is enough pressure, all the windows in the room could shatter. In some cases, the entire roof of the house might come off. Tight-fitting double-pane windows and secure, well-constructed window frames with no gaps are the safer choice for your home. If you feel a breeze during a normal rainstorm, your windows won’t stand a chance when a hurricane rampages through town.

Window replacement in Doylestown, PA, is one of Munz Construction’s most popular services, and with the weather in southeastern Pennsylvania during recent years, it’s no wonder that so many customers want to protect their homes.

Outdated Appearance

If you’re considering selling your home, curb appeal is a phrase you might be familiar with already. But curb appeal applies even to homeowners who’ve had their property for decades and want to entrust it to future generations or first-time homeowners looking for a practical and stylish way to add personal style to their place. Replacing a home’s windows can hugely improve its appearance or shake up its look entirely. Window replacement also significantly increases your property value.

You deserve to have good windows, and we look forward to window offers and estimates we can make for you. It doesn’t stop just there, however. Installing, replacing, and updating outdated or unsafe windows and doors are just some of our company’s specialties. We also specialize in additions and remodels, kitchens, bathrooms, and more. We want to help you love the home you live in. As we say at Munz, “Don’t Move, Improve!”

L. C.

14:13 11 Sep 18

Munz Construction has done a number of large projects for us at our home over the past 18 yrs. They have always done a great job. Their workers are good and very courteous. We have always felt very comfortable with them in our house, especially Phil and Jason. Steve and Pete are easy to work with and are responsive to questions/issues. Bryan is very helpful when you need to make selections for your projects. The company stands behind their work and provides quality in a timely fashion, which can't be said for a lot of other companies these days. We would definitely recommend them!

tina leck

17:46 17 Aug 18

Munz Construction did an amazing job with our basement remodel. The entire team was so pleasant to work with. Everyone that has come to our home since the remodel has been thoroughly impressed with the design. It really was a great experience to work with everyone at Munz. I’d like to also add that my husband tends to be an “overspender” and I am the complete opposite... so from the very start of our project , the design team made sure we were both comfortable with all of our selections. They always showed numerous options and price points for different things. So in the end, my husband and I were both so happy with everything. Thanks Munz, we’ll definitely use you again.

Sheryl Duffy

19:23 17 Sep 18

I did a major renovation of a 40 year old house. While touching virtually every room, the most significant changes included creating a new custom kitchen by combining the existing kitchen with a small dining room, creating a new master bedroom and converting a small bedroom into a large new master bathroom. I had contacted several well known home renovation companies who either did not seem to be interested in the large project or did not seem to offer the “full service” and support I needed. Steve and Bryan spent all the time I needed to make me comfortable making all the design decisions – not an easy task since I am design challenged! Any issues that came up, as would be expected in a project this size, were addressed. In addition, everyone made living in the house during construction as comfortable as possible. I would also like to say that the attention to detail and the finishing work done by their people was remarkable. The final results are fantastic! Needless to say I would use them again for any project and would highly recommend Munz Construction.

DJ Mischak

17:49 17 Sep 18

Chris and his crew were amazing! They added an addition that "touched" every room in the house. His workers were kind, courteous, and respectful AND they got the job done in a timely manner with WONDERFUL results. We love our new addition. We have the BEST house on the block!!!!

Hunter Labovitz

20:39 19 Sep 18

We were gutting and remodeling an old house that needed major work but that we didn’t want to tear down. Given the time and cost involved, we were very deliberate with our choice of contractor. We are very glad we chose Munz Construction as dealing with all of their employees was a pleasure from Day One (and the project took about a year so we had lots of contact). They always suggested ways to cut costs, had good suggestions to modify the blueprints to our advantage and never pushed unnecessary ideas. The design team was especially helpful as their three-dimensional computer models really gave us good insight into the final product and allowed us to make pre-construction tweaks of which we otherwise would not have thought. Munz was also very good about fixing things without complaint. As we approach one year in our new house, we are very happy and also receive lots of compliments on the design and preservation of the house.

Stacey Holloran

13:58 18 Oct 18

We are very pleased with Munz Construction. We had the front of our house framed for new windows, new siding, stucco removal, new gutters, lighting etc. They helped with design ideas upfront and the house looks amazing. Erich and his team were very pleasant, professional and detail oriented. We would definitely use them again for any additional work in the future.

Cynthia Powell

20:28 23 Oct 18

Everyone at Munz that we had the pleasure of working with were wonderful. From the beginning of our project, until the end everyone worked so hard. We had a new room, bathroom, and a beautiful porch put on our house. We are extremely happy. I would highly recommend this company.

Giannina Macaluso

21:14 22 Oct 18

Munz Construction installed my new windows. They were extremely professional and did a great job.The crew arrived timely, covered my floors and were sure keep all areas clean throughout the installation.After the job was completed the crew cleaned and actually left my home cleaner than they found it! Munz Construction is hugely recommeded and will be installing my new kitchen, powder room and hall bath!Nice to see a professional company!!!!

Catherine Melly

15:09 30 Aug 18

Had great experience with Pete, our site manager, as well as Jason (construction), Jack (electrician ), Dave (painter), and all of the other subcontractors. Very clean, professional, pleasant. I found the initial process of general design less than ideal. Having little experience with this process, I didn't feel as informed as I could have been. I expected there may be options in layout and design, but that was not the case. In fact, the original design presented to us didn't really show a layout at all, merely a word document of what would be done. I was slightly taken aback when, e.g., there was no option for any kind of linen storage in the bathroom as the design completely removed a large closet that we had in order to make room for a stall shower. It was assumed we would want a whirlpool tub, and we weren't really asked about that option. These kinds of things made me a little uncomfortable with going forward. To us, it was a very expensive job, and yet I felt like it was not considered an important one when we sat with the designer. We felt much more comfortable when Pete met with us to go over the job expectations. There were very few glitches along the way, and Pete handled each of these very professionally. The work as completed is very good, and we are very happy with the end result.

Peter Gilles

21:19 17 Oct 18

Munz Construction is a one-of-a-kind experience when it comes to renovations and construction. The family-run local business will handle every aspect of your project from helping see your initial ideas through to budgeting, permitting, and construction. You will be delighted by the friendly, knowledgeable staff whether you're visiting the showroom or have construction crews conscientiously working for you to create your masterpiece. Munz Construction has the capabilities to handle any size renovation or construction project. If you enjoy working with the best then try Munz!