8 Warning Signs You Need Charleston Window Repair

Out of all the components of your house, windows are among the top features that make it comfortable, livable and appealing. Just take a moment to imagine life without them—no natural light, no fresh breezes, no views and no checking out the neighborhood from the comfort of your own home. They're absolutely indispensable.

That being said, windows also cause some big problems for homeowners. They can really make your home less comfortable and safe, and drain your bank account via your monthly utility bills. They don't last forever— especially when they are installed incorrectly, haven't been maintained properly or have suffered damage from a number of potential causes—and will eventually need Charleston window repair service.

When you need skilled window repair services, count on your local Charleston handyman to get the job done right. The team of window repair service professionals at Mr. Handyman of Charleston and Summerville has extensive experience with a wide range of trusted handyman services. We are proud to provide our local community with top-quality workmanship and excellent customer service.

1. Excess Moisture and Drafts

If you've got water leaking in through your window frame, that's a big problem. It indicates that the seal inside the frame has deteriorated, and water is getting into the interior of the wall where it will compromise your insulation and cause serious problems that could affect the stability of your house, not to mention pose a risk to your indoor air quality. If you see visible moisture leaking through your window installations, or you notice signs of water damage such as brown stains on the wall or softened drywall under a window, Charleston window repair services are necessary as soon as possible.

Another issue you may be experiencing is air drafts coming in through gaps in a frame that is no longer adequately sealed. This problem usually goes hand-in-hand with excess moisture leaks, and it makes your home a lot less comfortable by changing the temperature indoors. That forces your HVAC system to operate more frequently and for longer to compensate, which in turn drives up the energy costs on your utility bill.

2. Rotten Wood

One of the most dreaded consequences of water leaks in Charleston is wood rot, a form of decay that only affects timber with a moisture content of 20% or higher. That's why wood on the exterior of your house is so vulnerable to rotting, while wood that stays dry indoors can last for more than 100 years. If you've got water seeping in through your frame, it's going to raise the moisture content of wood frames, sills and sashes and leave them susceptible to rotting. Want to check for wood rot, but you're not sure what to look for? Examine your wooden trim for these signs:

• Its texture has changed and appears to be spongy, stringy or webbed with cracks

• Discolored patches that have a yellow, white or purple hue, or look lighter or darker than the surrounding area

• Timber is breaking into cube-shaped pieces or crumbling into "sawdust"

• When you press a utensil against a suspicious patch, it sinks right into the wood

Any of the above is a sign that you need Charleston window repair. Rot can worsen and spread to other parts of your house—sometimes even traveling across non-wood surfaces like plaster or masonry. It's best to stop it in its tracks as soon as possible to avoid bigger problems in the future.

Can Wood Rot Be Repaired?

Sort of. There's no way to make rotted surfaces solid and strong again, so wood rot repair typically involves removing the affected material altogether and replacing it with new timber, then painting or staining it so it matches the rest and sealing it to help it repel moisture in the future. But if the wood in question would be particularly difficult to remove, or the patches of rot are pretty minor, your Princeton handyman may be able to deal with it by scraping out the rotted parts and filling the holes with epoxy wood filler. They would then sand the cured filler so it's smooth and even, and paint over it so the repair is invisible. However, it's worth noting that there's no point in carrying out wood rot repair until the source of the moisture has been fixed—otherwise the damage will just reoccur.

3. Difficult to Open and Close

Do you have to heave and push to budge your window sash even an inch? Having windows that open is a big benefit for any home, but if it's a big pain to get them open you may be worried that you'll never get them shut again. This problem could be caused by your house shifting and settling over time, which causes the frame to bend or warp. It could also be related to moisture incursion warping the wood. But one of the most common causes in older homes is that the frame and sash have been painted and repainted so many times, the build-up of paint is causing them to rub together.

Or, maybe the problem lies with the latch or opening mechanism on a hopper. In that case, it may just need cleaning and lubrication to remove signs of corrosion like rust, or grime build-up that is preventing it from operating smoothly. If that doesn't solve the problem, our Charleston window repair experts can install new hardware to restore their function.

4. Poor Sound Separation

If you live on a busy street, or right next door to an elementary school playground, you know how important it is to be able to cut out noise from outdoors when you're in your home. Your windows have a big part to play in that, so if they are in poor condition, they may not be doing as much as you'd like to maintain your peace and quiet indoors. Charleston window repair can help in a variety of ways, depending on where the weak point is located. You may need solutions to fix a degraded frame or sash. If you have single panes of glass, replacing them with double pane windows will make a huge difference in noise reduction so you can relax and enjoy the quiet inside regardless of what's going on outside your house. For particularly noisy areas, sound-canceling drapes can also be surprisingly helpful.

5. Pest Infestations

If you're suddenly sharing your house with an unusual number of insect "guests," chances are good that you need Charleston window repair service. They may have found a path inside through a rotted, crumbling frame, but the more likely scenario is that they're getting in through rips and holes in a screen and you need screen repair to block your unwelcome visitors from making themselves at home. Insects such as cockroaches, termites, carpenter ants, wasps and mosquitoes can make your home less sanitary and comfortable, and can be incredibly destructive to your property. We will remove the damaged mesh panel and insert a new one into the frame quickly and easily. That way, you can get fresh air as needed without worrying about tiny intruders.

What Size of Screen Mesh Blocks Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes vary in size from about a tenth of an inch long to a quarter of an inch for the really big, nasty ones. Standard screen mesh is 18 x 16, which means there's 18 strands per inch in one direction and 16 strands per inch in the other direction. That's small enough to keep out even the most dainty mosquito. But if you're worried about their annoying little cousins, no-see-ums (also called midges or biting gnats), go with 20 x 20 mesh to keep them from ruining your day.

6. Peeling Paint or Wood Stain

When you notice that there's strips of paint peeling off your frames and sashes, or wood stain chipping away in flakes, it's time to act. That's actually an early warning sign of moisture incursion, and as we mentioned above, a high moisture content in timber is the first step towards rot. The moisture seeps into wood and causes it to swell up, pushing on paint from underneath and causing it to lift and peel off. If you can stop the moisture source and refinish the timber before it rots, you can prevent that from happening—and at that point, it would be a great idea to have your Charleston handyman add a coat of sealant to make it more moisture resistant in the future.

7. Single Pane of Glass

Most new construction homes in Charleston are being built with double panes installed, but if you have an older home, it may still have single panes. If that's the case, changing them out for double panes with insulated glass will make a dramatic difference to your energy costs on your utility bill and save you a significant amount of money over time. Double panes are a package with two panes of glass separated by a small gap and sealed together at the edges. They may also contain additional window insulation in the form of an argon gas fill, or be made of low-emissivity (low-E) glass that reduces harmful ultraviolet rays without compromising visible light. They are much better at stopping the transfer of heat between your indoor space and the outdoors, which makes your home a lot more efficient and reduces your need for electricity or natural gas. That's why window replacement is one of the Charleston home improvements that can make your home more energy efficient.

Why Is Energy Efficiency Important for Windows?

Any gap or hole in your siding provides an opportunity for the transfer of heat, and that includes doors and windows. Heat naturally moves from a warmer place to a colder place, which means warm air from your furnace escapes outdoors in the winter, while heat from the sun comes into your air conditioned house in the summer. That heat transfer changes the temperature in your house, forcing your HVAC system to turn on more frequently and for longer periods of time.

That additional operation time for your HVAC is a big deal, because your heating and cooling are already the biggest expenses on your energy bill. Your furnace and air conditioner need to use quite a bit of electricity or natural gas fuel in order to keep your home at your preferred indoor comfort level. Increasing that already considerable fuel usage causes your energy bill to skyrocket and costs you a lot of money that would be better spent elsewhere.

8. Condensation Between Panes

If you have foggy windows that are misty due to condensation trapped between double panes, your Charleston window repair will likely involve glass replacement. This happens because the seal around the edge of the two panes has been compromised and is letting in moisture and humidity. It looks bad and makes it much more difficult to see out clearly, but it's also a problem because it indicates that your windows are no longer as energy efficient as they should be. There actually is a service to seal up the edge of the existing panes, but it's often only effective for a short time and the service will need to be repeated over and over until you give up and have them replaced. That's why it is more cost-effective to just go straight to a service like Charleston window glass replacement.

Time For Charleston Window Repair? Count On the Pros at Mr. Handyman of Charleston and Summerville!

Whether you're in Charleston or a nearby part of South Carolina such as Summerville, Ladson or Goose Creek, you can trust the team of commercial and residential window repair experts at Mr. Handyman of Charleston and Summerville for experienced window repair and other dependable handyman services.

Pick up the phone and get in contact with us today at 843-940-7525 to find out more about all the ways we can enhance your home and make your life easier, or to chat with our knowledgeable customer service staff and schedule an appointment at a convenient time.