Should You Repair or Replace Your Windows?

When your windows are foggy, leaky, cold, cracked or broken, or otherwise not doing their intended job, you might be wondering if you should repair or replace your windows.

It’s a tough choice predicated on the idea that cost is an issue. All factors being equal, it’s likely that most homeowners would choose replacement over repair. But cost is the factor that turns this into a true dilemma. With new windows costing around $650 per window or more installed, an entire house of new windows can end up costing several thousand dollars.

Repair seems to be the likely avenue then—except that repair isn’t always possible with most modern windows. Older, single-pane windows were simple to fix. By contrast, double- or triple-pane sealed windows are more difficult to repair. In some cases, repair isn’t even possible.

So, when can or should you repair or replace your windows?

Cracked or broken glass (replace sash)

Broken muntins/mullions on single-pane windows

Slow-moving or stuck window sashes

Missing or damaged exterior drip cap

Poor exterior window casing

Minor water leaks

Foggy windows with inside condensation

Poor interior faux muntins/mullions

Major water leakage

When to Repair Your Window

Cracked or Broken Glass

Safety and visual acuity play into the decision to replace a window when the glass is bad. Single-pane windows can be effectively and inexpensively repaired by the homeowner or a glazier.

When a multi-paned glass is broken or cracked, look into sash replacement. But if you have been tolerating window problems for a long time, this might be a good excuse to replace the entire window.

Broken Muntins or Mullions

Rotting or split muntins and mullions that hold glass in single-pane windows must be rebuilt. Those with missing or brittle putty holding the glass panes in place can easily be fixed. After removing the glass and scraping the area clean, you would apply fresh putty and then secure the glass with new glazier’s points.

Balky or Stuck Sashes

One typical problem of older windows is upper or lower sashes which are unable to move. This could be due to multiple layers of paint bridging the sash and frame, holding the two together. Or the sash might have come off track.

When sashes are hard to raise, the cause is usually broken cords on sash weights. For spring-type sashes, the spring may have failed or come loose, and this type of problem can be fixed.

Missing or Rotting Drip Cap

The drip cap is the exterior shield at top of the window. This is an easy repair that most do-it-yourselfers can perform. Rot-free, rust-free aluminum drip caps can be purchased at nearly all home centers, nailed into place, then caulked.

Poor Exterior Window Casing

Loose, cracked, rotting, or missing exterior casing is unattractive and can lead to window damage. Damaged casing alone does not entail window replacement.

Primed wood exterior casing can be found at most home centers. Homeowners can remove the existing casing and replace it with the new casing. Remember that primed wood is not weather-resistant. It should be painted quickly after installation with exterior-grade paint.

Minor Water Leakage

When interior water is detected near the window area, often it is coming from around the window, not through the window.

Poorly draining gutters and drainpipes can force water towards windows. Window seals are meant to hold back water, but not water of such great force. Re-route your drainage system and see if this makes a difference.

When to Replace Your Window

Foggy Windows

Foggy windows are caused by water condensing inside of your window’s double-paned or triple-paned IGU, or insulated glass unit.

Today’s windows have these self-sufficient IGU’s built into them. So, unlike multi-paned windows of the past, which had the glass set into place by a glazier, IGU’s are sealed and permanent. A do-it-yourselfer or even a competent window technician can’t disassemble an IGU and rebuild it. Removal and replacement is the only option.

What this means for the owner of fogged-up windows is that IGUs generally an all-or-nothing project.

Can a Foggy Window be Fixed?

A niche industry fixes foggy windows by drilling tiny holes in the glass, removing the moist air within the IGU, and then sealing up the glass again. So, this can be done. But so few companies are available that do this, that it’s more practical to replace the sash or window.

Structural Problems

When the outer structure of the window is failing, it’s time to buy a new window. In some cases, the area around the window may be in poor shape, too: studs, house sheathing, siding, and insulation.

This warrants both replacing the window and rebuilding parts of the wall. In this case, you’ll be using a new-construction window, not a replacement window.

Major Water Leakage

Excessive water infiltration around the window might mean that your exterior window casing is bad. This isn’t so much a window issue as it is an issue to do with your exterior as a whole. But if water does prove to be coming through the window, this is probably time to start shopping for new windows.

Broken Faux Muntins or Mullions in IGUs

Muntins and mullions are the pieces of wood separating panes of glass. If these are faux muntins and mullions, set between two panes of glass for effect only, they cannot be replaced. But the good side of this is that they will not affect your window’s functionality.

Apex Window Werks | Wood Window Repair

Windows Replacement vs. Repair: What is the Best in Your Case?

As a homeowner, sooner or later you will have to have your windows repaired or replaced. But which option is better? Each option has its pros and cons. To decide which the best option is for you, you need to weigh up many different factors.

For most people, the two most important factors they consider are cost and energy efficiency. However, it’s not always just as simple as that. For instance, if you have a very old house, the original windows are irreplaceable.

But let’s back up a bit, and look at this issue in two parts. First, we’ll look at when you should replace your windows, and then we’ll look at when it’s better to repair them.

Replacing your windows

The biggest benefit of replacing your windows is that you get a brand spanking new windows. But newness by itself is hardly important unless you are specifically remodeling your home. A more important reason for replacing your windows is to improve your home’s thermal efficiency. Most newer windows insulate far better than older ones. This will mean lower heating costs over time. At least, this is what the marketing material will lead you to believe.

The truth about energy efficiency is that your windows typically account for only a fraction of the thermal losses of your house. So, although you can save money, it may take you many decades to recoup the cost of the windows. But obviously, if you are upgrading from single pane to double pane windows, you are likely to see the biggest improvement.

On the other hand, having a warm and toasty home in winter is very comfortable, and you can probably put a monetary value on comfort.

Now, another major reason to replace your windows is when they are broken. Modern windows are not made to repair. Sure, you can do some routine maintenance on them, but they are essentially destined for the landfill once they break. So if that happens, guess what? That’s right, you need to replace them.

Repairing your windows

A long time ago, windows were made exclusively from wood, and they were built to last. But that doesn’t mean they lasted forever. Rather, it means that they could be repaired when they broke. It was the philosophy of the time to repair things, and expert artisans were always available to do just that.

Fast forward to the present day. You have a house with beautiful old windows, but they are in a terrible state. Do you repair them, or do you replace them? That’s simple. Repair them!

Sure, new double pane windows will be a lot more energy efficient than old single-pane windows. That’s great, so why would you not do that? Simple. They will look ugly and out of place in your old house. And no, you are highly unlikely to find modern windows that will look nearly good enough.

Repairing your old windows is essential for maintaining your historic home’s classic appearance. That, in turn, will increase its value. On the other hand, energy efficiency is also a great selling point nowadays. Luckily there are plenty of things you can do to improve the efficiency of your old windows without drastically ruining the appearance of your house.

One way of improving the efficiency of your old windows is to retrofit double pane glass into the frames. The problem is that the old frames aren’t made for that. You’ll find that the double pane glass units are much too thick to fit seamlessly into the frame. They are also heavier than single pane glass, so sash windows will not stay open. Therefore this kind of retrofit solution often means that the windows remain closed permanently.

One of the most popular compromises is to install storm windows over the original windows. Storm windows usually have minimal negative visual impact, but allows you to retain full functionality of the windows while achieving better thermal efficiency.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a word that is not used often enough in the replacement versus repair debate. As we mentioned before, old windows were made to be repaired; modern ones are made to be discarded. Yes, the newer ones are far more efficient, which results in large energy savings. But when you factor in the ecological cost of manufacturing them, they end up costing a lot more energy than you would lose with your old windows.

Recycling

Most modern windows are made from recyclable materials such as uPVC and aluminum. The glass is also recyclable. But old wooden frames are biodegradable, which is even better.

What should I do?

From all of the above, the answer is quite simple. If you have old wooden windows, you should try to repair them. Otherwise, replace your windows if that’s the best option.

Как работать с программой Windows Repair

Severnyj

Windows Repair (All In One) – это утилита, которая поможет исправить ошибки в системном реестре, восстановить оригинальные настройки, модифицированные при заражении компьютера или установке программ, восстановить стабильную работу браузера Internet Explorer, сервиса Windows Update, межсетевого экрана Windows Firewall и других служб и компонентов ОС.

Программа работает под управлением ОС Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 (32 & 64 Bit)

. Внимание. Используйте программу на свой страх и риск, только в случае крайней необходимости и в случаях серьезных нарушений настроек в результате воздействия злонамеренного ПО. Не запускайте программу «просто так», как гласит народная мудрость: «Нельзя чинить то, что не сломано. «

. Внимание. Несмотря на то, что восстановление настроек и исправление ошибок происходит достаточно корректно и аккуратно, перед использованием утилиты необходимо создать точку восстановления системы:

Скачайте Windows Repair (all in one)установочную или портативную версию

Установите и запустите программу.

На первом шаге нам предлагается «правильное обесточивание» для этого необходимо завершить работу с компьютером, отключить от сети или извлечь батарею и кратковременно нажать кнопку Включения компьютера. Отметим, что предварительные шаги желательны, но необязательны.

На четвертом шаге будет предложено проверить и восстановить защищенные системные файлы. Нажмите кнопку Do It для начала процедуры проверки и восстановления поврежденных системных файлов. Пользователям ОС Windows XP / 2003 понадобится компакт-диск с дистрибутивом операционной системы. Дистрибутив операционной системы должен включать в себя Service Pack с таким же порядковым номером, как и у целевой системы. Использование дистрибутива с отличающимся Service Pack может привести к повреждению ОС Windows XP / 2003. Следует отметить, что процедура проверки и восстановления системных файлов может не работать на самодельных сборках, вроде Zver, XTreme и проч. Никогда не используйте сборок , кроме тех, которые создали Вы сами, используйте оригинальные дистрибутивы операционных систем.

На пятом шаге можно создать точку восстановления системы: System Restore =>Create, откатить систему на ранее созданную точку: System Restore =>Restore, создать резервную копию системного реестра: Registry Backup =>Backup или восстановить системный реестр из ранее созданной резервной копии: Registry Backup =>Restore. Если Вы не создали точку восстановления ранее, рекомендуется создать ее на этом шаге. А так же Permissions Backup для платной версии утилиты которая позволяет создать копию файлов реестра и важных файлов реестра.

И вот мы подошли к самой главной вкладке Repairs, нажмите кнопку Open Repairs для открытия окна с выбором инструментов восстановления. Или можете воспользоваться «готовыми наборами» от разработчиков.

На экране отобразится главное окно инструмента восстановления. Твики рекомендуется выполнять в безопасном режиме, о чем сигнализирует утилита при переходе в этот режим

В левой части окна отображается список настроек и функций системы, которые можно восстановить. Выберите в списке те проблемы, которые необходимо исправить:

• Reset Registry Permissions — сбросить права доступа к разделам системного реестра.
• Reset File Permissions — сбросить права доступа к файлам.
• Reset Service Permissions — сбросить права доступа к службам.
• Register System Files — повторить регистрацию системных файлов.
• Repair WMI — восстановить настройки Windows Management Instrumentation.
• Repair Windows Firewall — восстановить настройки Брандмауэра Windows.
• Repair Internet Explorer — восстановить настройки Internet Explorer.
• Repair MDAC & MS Jet — восстановить настройки MDAC и Microsoft Jet.
• Repair Hosts File — восстановить Hosts-файл.
• Remove Policies Set By Infections — удалить ограничения, созданные вредоносными программами.
• Repair Start Menu Icon Removed By Infections — восстановить иконки меню Пуск, удаленные вредоносными программами.
• Repair Icons — восстановить отображение иконок.
• Repair Network — восстановить каталог Winsock и очистить кэш DNS.
• Remove Temp Files — удалить временные файлы.
• Repair Proxy Settings — восстановить настройки прокси.
• Unhide Non System Files — снять атрибуты скрытый, системный у несистемных файлов.
• Repair Windows Updates — восстановить настройки автоматического обновления Windows.
• Repair CD/DVD Missing/Not Working — восстановить работу приводов CD/DVD.
• Repair Volume Shadow Copy Service — восстановить настройки службы теневого копирования томов.
• Repair Windows Sidebar/Gadgets — восстановить настройки отображения гаджетов рабочего стола.
• Repair MSI (Windows Installer) — восстановить настройки установщика Windows.
• Reapir Windows Snipping Tool — восстановить настройки инструмента Ножницы.
• Repair File Associaation — восстановить файловые ассоциации. Есть возможность отдельно выбрать какое расширение файла установить «по умолчанию»
• Repair Windows Safe Mode — восстановить работу безопасного режима.
• Repair Print Spooler — восстановить спулер печати.
• Restore Important Windows Services — восстановить важные службы Windows.
• Set Windows Services To Default Startup — установить настройки запуска служб Windows по умолчанию.
• Repair Windows 8/10 App Store — восстановить Магазин приложений Windows 8/10.
• Repair Windows 8/10 Component Store — восстановить компоненты Windows 8/10 из папки WinSxS.
• Restore Windows 8/10 COM+ Unmarshalers — запуск COM+ , зависимых от ключа реестра HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unmarshalers.
• Repair Windows New Submenu — восстановить меню ПКМ Новый файл — Новая папка.
• Restore UAC (User Account Control) Settings — восстановить настройки User Account Control.
• Repair Performance Counters — восстановить настройки счетчиков производительности.
• Repair Recycle Bin — восстановить поврежденную или удаленную Корзину.

В правой части программы, на вкладке Repair Info отображается подробная информация о том, какие действия будут выполнены при выборе того или иного пункта для восстановления.

После окончания выбора пунктов нажмите кнопку Start Repairs для начала процедуры восстановления.

Перезагрузите компьютер если ранее не был установлен флажок Restart/Shutdown System.

После перезагрузки, проверьте работу восстановленных служб или приложений.

Полезные ссылки:

• Форум поддержки утилиты