What That Spooky Draft Means for Your Window Insulation
Oct 12, 2017Do You Walk Past Your Window and Feel a Wisp of Cold Air?
If you’ve lived with your old windows for long enough, you might not think much of your little window draft problem. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable, but you just throw on a sweater or turn up the heat and move on with your day. Unfortunately, that draft may be more problematic than you think.
Window drafts occur when the windows aren’t properly sealed, leaving gaps through which cold air from outside can slip through. This can be the result of shoddy window installation, or it could be that your windows are simply old and need to be replaced. Either way, it’s not a problem you want to ignore. That little draft could cause more problems for your home than just giving you chills. Here are a few issues to consider:
Scary High HVAC Bills
When it gets cold in Kansas City, it can really get cold. And what do you do when you feel cold inside your home? You turn up the heat. If you need to heat your house above the average temperature on a regular basis to compensate for a window draft, you’ll be facing a large HVAC bill by the end of the month, one you might not be prepared for. While the cost of having your windows inspected, resealed, or even replaced could be daunting, it is a one-time cost. The monthly increase of your HVAC bill could prove to be more damaging in the end.
What Else is Getting In?
If there are gaps in the construction that allow cold air through, you must wonder what else is slipping through those cracks. Many small bugs and pests get into the home this way, and once there, they can breed and spread. If bugs are getting in through your windows, you may find some in between the window and screen or just along the ledge of the window. No one wants to have uninvited house guests, especially of the insect variety, so if this is a problem for you, you should probably get that window draft taken care of.
Bad News for Your Window Frame
A drafty window can also spell bad news for your window frame, especially if you have a wood frame. The colder the air and moisture on the frame, the more it will start to wear down and rot. While we’d recommend vinyl or fiberglass windows for this reason, moisture from a bad window installation can still spell trouble for the surrounding area: in the form of mold and mildew. Little black spots of mold don’t just look scary: they are scary, and they can spread through the house more quickly than you know. The best way to address a mold problem is to have good windows securely installed to keep yourself from having a mold problem in the first place.
Drafty windows are a disturbing problem when you consider all the issues they could bring to your home. Fortunately, you don’t have to keep them. This Halloween season, if your Kansas City windows are too old or poorly installed to keep, call Johnson County Siding & Window Co. to replace them. We’ll install them correctly the first time with energy efficient, tightly sealed solutions so that nothing gets in without your say-so: not cold air, not bugs, and certainly not moisture and mold. Call us today at (913) 782 – 2878 or fill out our online form for a free estimate.
