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Have you started to lose track of how old the windows in your home are? If so, this probably means that it’s almost time for you to replace them.
Although most windows are designed to last for at least a couple of decades before needing to be replaced, they’re not going to last you forever. At some point, you’re going to need to ask yourself, “How often should windows be replaced?”
It can be difficult to provide a definitive answer to this question. You might not need to replace windows in your house as often as your neighbor. It all depends on what type of windows you have and how hard you work to take care of them.
If you’ve been wondering, “Do I need to replace my windows?”, lately, you should look out for some of the signs that’ll let you know that you do, in fact, need new windows. Check out some of the most common signs below.
Your Windows Are Past Their Expiration Date
To be clear, windows don’t have an actual expiration date on them. So you shouldn’t bother trying to look for one on them.
You can, however, estimate approximately how long windows are going to last you by doing a little bit of research on them. You should be able to figure out how much life you can get out of windows based on the materials that are used to make them.
Vinyl windows, for example, are known to last for right around 20 years before you’ll need to replace them with new ones. So if you have vinyl windows in your home that have blown past the 20-year mark, you won’t have to worry about wondering, “How often should windows be replaced?”, when it comes to them. You should be prepared to replace them soon.
Your Windows Are Almost Always in Need of Repairs
Are you calling on a window repair company every other month these days to fix the windows in your home? You should know that you’re not going to have to stop doing this anytime soon since your windows are going to continue to break down on you until you take the time to replace them.
If you’re spending a ton of time and money on window repairs right now, that alone should tell you that you need to pick up the phone and call a window replacement company. You’ll need new windows installed in your home as soon as possible.
If you choose not to replace windows and keep on repairing them, all you’re going to be doing is wasting money. You would be so much better off scheduling window replacement so that you won’t have to worry about doing any more window repairs for a long, long time.
Your Windows Are Taking a Toll on Your Curb Appeal
Are you unhappy with the way that your home looks when you’re standing in front of it? You might be surprised to see what a big difference that new windows could make with regards to your home’s curb appeal.
There are literally dozens of other things that you can do to give your home’s curb appeal a big boost. But knowing when to replace windows and doing it is going to have a much bigger impact than almost all of them.
If your home’s windows aren’t that old and you hate your curb appeal, you may be able to get away with painting them if they’re made out of the right materials. Doing that could bring your curb appeal back to life without forcing you to spend money on new windows.
But if your windows are getting old anyway, swapping them out for new ones could be the right move for you to make. It’ll restore your home’s curb appeal in an instant and help you take more pride in your house from now on.
Your Windows Are Dragging Down Your Home’s Interior Design
Older windows can do more than just negatively impact your home’s curb appeal. They’re also going to clash with the interior design of your home in many cases and make the inside of your home look and feel more dated than it should.
You can spend all the time and money you want renovating your kitchen, your bathrooms, your living room, and other areas of your home. But if you still have the same old windows in your house, they’re going to bring your interior design down and stop you from truly creating the home that you want.
Even if your windows aren’t that old, you might still want to consider replacing them with new ones if you feel like they’re affecting your interior design. You can brighten up your whole house quickly by having new windows put into place.
Your Windows Are Affecting Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
Does it feel like your home’s heating and cooling bills have skyrocketed over the last year or two? It might not just be because you’re cranking the heat or the air conditioning up whenever it gets very hot or cool outside.
As windows begin to age, they stop insulating a home like they used to. Because of this, it’s not uncommon at all for air to leak in and out of windows at will, thus forcing a heating and cooling system to have to work harder than it should to keep a home comfortable.
When this happens, you’re usually going to have to pay way more than usual to heat and cool your home. You’re also going to be at an increased risk of your heating and cooling system breaking down on you ahead of schedule.
You can keep the inside of your home comfy and make your entire house more energy-efficiency by calling on a window replacement company and taking advantage of the option to replace your windows.
Your Windows Are No Longer Safe to Open and Close
Once the windows in your home reach a certain point, you’re going to have to fight with them every time you want to open or close them. You’ll need to put some elbow grease into it when you open or close them—and you’ll also need to advise some of your family members not to mess around with them due to safety issues.
When windows start to stick, it can be dangerous to open and close them if you don’t know what you’re doing. You could throw a window open too fast or slam one shut too quickly and do some real damage to them. You might also sustain an injury in the process.
If your windows have reached this point, it’s a point of no return. You’re going to need new windows for your home to make them safe to use again.
Your Windows Are Impacting Your Home’s Security
Have some of the locks on the windows in your home stopped working? This is one of the worst things that can happen when your windows begin to get up there in age!
There are over 2 million home burglaries that take place each year. And your home is going to be at risk of becoming a part of this statistic if you don’t have fully-functioning windows with locks in it.
You can, of course, attempt to fix the locks on your windows so that you can get them to work again. But if you have a bunch of locks that are broken, this is going to be more trouble than it’s worth.
You should replace your windows with new ones that have working locks on them. It’ll help you to keep your house locked down and improve your home’s security by leaps and bounds.
Your Windows Are Hurting Your Home’s Value
If you’re thinking about selling your home at any point in the near future, you should find out what it’s worth first. While doing this, you could very well learn that it’s not worth as much as you might hope—in part because of things like your old windows.
If your home’s value is suffering due to your old windows, you can reverse this by having new windows installed. They’ll prove to be an excellent investment since they’ll add a lot of value to your home as long as you select the right ones. You’ll wonder why you didn’t take the time to install them sooner once you see the difference they make.
So, How Often Should Windows Be Replaced? Only You Can Decide
There really isn’t a surefire answer to the question, “How often should windows be replaced?” Some people choose to do it every 10 to 15 years, while others will ride their home’s old windows until the proverbial wheels fall off.
You should look out for any of the signs listed here and consider replacing your home’s windows if you see any of them. You should then call on a reputable window replacement company to provide you with the new windows that you want.
Get more great home improvement tips by browsing through the informative articles found on the rest of our blog.