Your windows and doors are designed to protect you from the elements, however, sometimes nature takes an aggressive approach and exceeds the ratings that your windows and doors were built to withstand. These extreme weather events can damage your windows and doors. After an extreme weather event has moved through your area, you should inspect your windows and doors for damage that may have occurred.
Here are some tips to follow:
- If you find damage, take photos to submit to your insurance company. After finding the damage, you will want to take proactive measures to prevent further damage from occurring to your home.
- Check all around your glass for gaps in sealant to the sash, panel or frame. If you find a gap between your glass and sash/panel, you will want to protect your home from the elements by applying a cap bead of silicone to the affected area.
- Check your window and door hardware to ensure it did not break under the pressure. Carefully inspect the hardware for cracks, breaks, alignment, and that it is securely fastened. Your window or door may have broken hardware, but may appear to still be functioning correctly.
- Check if the weather-stripping is in good condition. Is there any wind driven debris?
- If you have windows or doors with wood exteriors, check to ensure that flying debris did not break the exterior paint finish which may lead to future rot or delamination.
- Check your glass for seal failure. This can easily be done by placing ice cubes inside of a plastic bag. Place the bag of ice against the glass and hold for approximately 1 ½ minutes. Remove the ice from the glass and wipe the moisture away from the glass. If the glass is failed, there will be moisture inside the glass that will not wipe off. Click here for directions.
- Clean any salt deposits or debris from all surfaces including hardware.
- Lubricate your window and door hardware with silicone spray. The strength of extreme weather events can place moisture and debris in your window or door’s hardware which can lead to improper operation. Be careful to not allow the silicone spray to contact other window or door surfaces which may damage these surfaces.
We hope that these tips assist you in evaluating your windows after an extreme weather event. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact us and we will be happy to help!