When to repair or replace your windows

Repairing or replacing windows – there’s a lot to consider, including the benefits of upgrading to energy efficient glazing. Here’s some advice to help you decide.

The decision about whether to repair or replace windows can be challenging. Just like any home improvement it is important to think about costs and potential savings in the short term as well as over a longer period.

This is especially pertinent for glazing in the home because upgrading to windows with a higher energy efficiency rating has the potential to reduce your annual household energy use.

So when considering window repair or replacement it can be helpful to bear in mind the potential savings you could gain by installing windows with a higher level of energy efficiency. You can calculate these potential savings using the GGF Energy Savings Calculator – an easy-to-use online tool that lets you compare different energy ratings and try out various window replacement scenarios.

Window maintenance and identifying problems

The importance of properly maintaining the windows in your home cannot be overstated. That’s because in addition to potentially affecting the value of your property, the condition of your windows can have a significant effect on both how comfortable your home is to live in and how much energy is required to heat and cool your living areas.

To help identify problems with your windows and the best course of action to take, we have provided some expert guidance in four easy steps.

Step 1: Visually inspect both sides of the windows

Inspect your windows for any evidence of rot (timber windows) or other damage to the hinges or jambs (the vertical parts that form the side of a window frame). Check if any of the seals are damaged, and if there are any chips in or around the glass.

Windows can be damaged by the sun, water and other weather exposure, so check for signs of this. If your windows have any of these faults which are compromising their performance or aesthetic looks (or both), you may wish to consider getting them repaired before any further damage occurs.

Step 2: Test the performance of your windows

Can you open and close your windows? Sounds obvious but sometimes windows stick due to paint, heat expansion or a broken handle. Also, check if there are any noticeable draughts. All of these are signs your windows may need repairing.

On rare occasions you may see condensation between the panes of a glass sealed unit where the seal of the sealed unit have failed. If so, the sealed unit will need to be replaced and this can usually be done quite easily by your window repair company, although they will have to take exact measurements to order a sealed unit specific to size.

Step 3: Analyse the impact on your living environment

Energy efficiency

Window quality may well be affecting your heating bills. If you have single glazed windows, then it could make a tremendous difference to the comfort of your home and your heating bills if you were to replace them with energy efficient double or triple glazed windows. New energy efficient glazing has the ability to reflect heat back into the room due to a low-emissivity (“Low E”) coating which has the effect of reducing heat loss through the windows.

Instead of replacing your windows, a less expensive option to improve energy efficiency would be to consider installing secondary glazing inside your existing windows, to form “double glazing”, however your existing windows must be in excellent condition.

Noise reduction

Are you affected by noise? If you live near noisy roads or other types of noise disturbance, then you can improve your living comfort by replacing windows to double or triple glazing that can reduce the passage of sound. Glass sealed units with enhanced acoustic options are available to reduce the noise further.

Again, if you wish to reduce noise and keep your existing windows, installing secondary glazing is a less expensive option. And for noise reduction, the bigger the gap between your existing windows and the secondary glazing the better. The head and jambs of the windows within that gap can then be lined with acoustic material if desired to further reduce the noise levels.

Ventilation

It is important to ensure that adequate ventilation is maintained when replacing your windows. This will allow for good air flow and reduce the risk of condensation on the inside of the windows.

Step 4: Consider the age of your home

Older homes – It‘s hard to decide if you should replace windows when they are original features of the house. If your home has stained or leaded glass, then replacing them could reduce the value of your home.

However, the good news is that these days window manufacturers can replicate your stained or leaded glass in energy efficient replacement windows.

If you have a home which is centuries old and listed, then you will need to obtain permission from your local planning officer for any changes. There are specialist glass suppliers who can locate such replicas of centuries-old glass if pieces are damaged.

Similarly, if your home is in an area covered by an “Article 4 Direction”, then you will need to obtain permission from your local planning officer for any changes. Homes in Conservation areas have permitted development rights and do not need planning permission to change windows, so long as the replacement windows are of similar aesthetics to your existing ones.

Still unsure? Contact a glazing professional

If you are unsure about whether to repair or replace windows in your home, it’s a good idea to talk to a glazing professional who can advise you on your options and provide quotes if necessary. Find your nearest GGF Member company.

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.

How to repair or replace corrupt system files

I have recently had random restarts and bluescreens. These have stopped now that I have removed an apparently faulty RAM module and performed a system repair. However, a SFC scan informs me that I have corrupt system files that cannot be repaired from the partition (my Dell 1558, Windows 7 Pro, 64 bit laptop did not come with an OEM system disc).

The highlights of the log are;

Could not reproject corrupt C:\Windows\System32″\[l:24<12>]»dmdskres.dll»; source file in store is also corrupted.

2013-06-29 12:34:34, Error CSI 000000ce (F) STATUS_FILE_CORRUPT_ERROR #1682000# from Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectFileSystemProvider::SysReadFile(h = 454 («\Device\HarddiskVolume3\WINDOWS\winsxs\Manifests\amd64_microsoft-windows-font-truetype-impact_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.17514_none_a7740a1a89b08d82.manifest»), evt = 0, apcr = NULL, apcc = NULL, iosb = @0xd6cd10, data = , byteoffset = 0, key = (null))

2013-06-29 12:34:34, Error CSI 000000cf@2013/6/29:11:34:34.440 (F) d:\win7sp1_gdr\base\wcp\sil\merged\ntu\ntsystem.cpp(2155): Error STATUS_FILE_CORRUPT_ERROR originated in function Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectFileSystemProvider::SysReadFile expression: (null)

Could anyone shed some light on how I can go about fixing/replacing these corrupt files.

Thanks in advance,

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What «system repair» did you perform?

Many people say that SFC has to be run at least three times to give it a good chance of detecting & fixing errors.

The errors you reproduce are not all SFC entries [other Windows 7 utilities also write to cbs.log].

Use Step 1 of Use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows Vista or on Windows 7 to extract a list of unfixable SFC errors into a SFCDetails.txt file in one of your own folders such as your Desktop. The extraction command can only be run from an Admin Command Prompt [You can open an Admin Command Prompt by entering cmd in the Start menu’s Search box then right-clicking on the cmd.exe shortcut that is offered to you & selecting Run as Admin]. Without a great deal of preparatory study & an awful lot of perseverance, it is really not worth trying to work with the full SFC results file [CBS.log] because it is huge & because SFC is not the only Windows 7 utility that writes to it.

Post the complete SFCDetails.txt file here.

You can make an installation disk of your own on USB or DVD [I believe that USB is better]. An installation disk is also a valuable fault-finding & repair tool. You should boot from it & use it to run SFC. The syntax changes a bit & you need to check the drive letter that the installation disk temporarily assigns to your hard drive.

By the time you have made the disk, I will have collated my notes on how to run SFC from the installation disk. Just to save me a bit of time & difficult explanations, are you familiar with booting from a System repair disk [as there are similarities]?

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Thanks for your help. I have run SFC multiple times, and created the following details file;

I’ll create an installation disk on USB, though be aware that it may take a little while for me to download the files on my connection.

I don’t know how to boot from a system repair disk, but I’m sure it’s easily google-able.

Can you just confirm that this process probably won’t affect my installed programs. I have very expensive scientifc software installed that I won’t be able to get hold of again if lost (since I no longer work at a university).

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Balaji- apologies for causing confusion by mistakenly identifying non-sytem files as such. I have run an anti-virus, Malwarebytes, and Spybot scan just to be sure- all clear.

Try*3- I’ve created an installation disk on a USB, as you suggest.

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This is what an SFCDetails file should look like even before manually removing the likely repetitons:-

2011-04-23 01:07:15, Info CSI 0000011d [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20<10>]»tcpmon.ini» of Microsoft-Windows-Printing-StandardPortMonitor-TCPMonINI, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = , Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2011-04-23 01:07:21, Info CSI 0000011f [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20<10>]»tcpmon.ini» of Microsoft-Windows-Printing-StandardPortMonitor-TCPMonINI, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = , Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2011-04-23 01:15:57, Info CSI 000002d7 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20<10>]»tcpmon.ini» of Microsoft-Windows-Printing-StandardPortMonitor-TCPMonINI, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = , Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2011-04-23 01:15:57, Info CSI 000002d9 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20<10>]»tcpmon.ini» of Microsoft-Windows-Printing-StandardPortMonitor-TCPMonINI, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = , Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2011-04-23 01:21:20, Info CSI 000003f9 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20<10>]»tcpmon.ini» of Microsoft-Windows-Printing-StandardPortMonitor-TCPMonINI, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = , Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2011-04-23 01:21:25, Info CSI 000003fb [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20<10>]»tcpmon.ini» of Microsoft-Windows-Printing-StandardPortMonitor-TCPMonINI, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = , Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2011-04-23 01:29:00, Info CSI 000005b3 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20<10>]»tcpmon.ini» of Microsoft-Windows-Printing-StandardPortMonitor-TCPMonINI, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = , Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2011-04-23 01:29:00, Info CSI 000005b5 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20<10>]»tcpmon.ini» of Microsoft-Windows-Printing-StandardPortMonitor-TCPMonINI, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = , Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch

That’s the whole of it.

You create it by opening an Admin Command prompt then putting in the command

findstr /C:»[SR] Cannot repair member file» %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log >D:\Desktop\sfcdetails.txt

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