On average, windows only last around 20 years. After that, they will start to fall apart, and they may not be able to protect the inside of your house as well as before. This is especially true when it comes to cracked windows.
Cracks can happen at any time in a window’s life. They may occur due to the age of the glass, or they may occur due to damage, such as the impact of a branch or another object. Whatever the case, once your window has cracks in it, it will no longer be able to protect the inside of your home from the outside world.
But when should you replace a cracked window? What happens if you decide not to replace it? Keep reading and learn more about when to choose professional window replacement and why you should.
Why Is It Important To Replace Cracked Windows?
There are many serious reasons why you should replace cracked windows as soon as possible. The first reason has to do with your energy bill. Ordinarily, windows are supposed to create a barrier between the inside of your house and the outside world.
Usually, the outside world is a considerably different temperature than inside your house. A good window will be insulated in such a way that it will prevent the heated or cooled air inside your house from seeping out into the world. That way, you won’t have to spend an arm and a leg on your energy bill, and your heater or air conditioning won’t have to run all day to keep your house’s temperature in check.
However, if your window has a crack, this insulated barrier is compromised. The air inside your house will not only drift outside, but the air outside will come inside. This may create a draft and make your thermostat run like crazy, causing your electricity bill to rise.
The Details
This, of course, is not ideal. While it costs money to replace your windows, it is actually the cheaper option in comparison to letting your electricity bill skyrocket. Besides your electric bill, a cracked window can also leave the inside of your home exposed to the elements. In particular, it will leave your house’s interior particularly vulnerable to moisture.
Little molecules of moisture will be able to penetrate even the smallest of cracks to enter your home. Once that happens, moisture will have the chance to wreak havoc on all sorts of things. In particular, your walls may start to suffer from water damage.
This may take the form of mold and mildew growth which is particularly bad for the house’s hair quality. Larger cracks in your windows may also leave your house more vulnerable to the invasion of certain insects. Once insects enter your home, they may decide to stay and reproduce, eventually causing an entire infestation.
This would be a particularly bad problem if those insects happened to be termites or other invasive and harmful creatures. But when should you replace your windows once they’re cracked?
When To Replace Your Cracked Windows
As soon as you notice that your window has a crack, you should aim to replace it right away. Of course, it may not be possible for some people to replace a window right away. Replacement windows can often be expensive.
However, the problems that come along with a cracked window can often cost far more than the simple cost of a replacement window. For that reason, you should never stick with a cracked window for too long. As soon as you notice a crack, you should try to replace the window within a week or so.
That way, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about the damage that might occur due to the compromised barrier of the window. If you can’t replace the window right away, you should try to seal the crack in the meantime. You can do this in a variety of simple ways such as applying strong tape to the crack.
What to Know
Of course, this will not solve the problem, but it will slow the damage that the cracked window may cause. You should also check your other windows to make sure that they don’t have any cracks either. Even if your window has a very small crack, you shouldn’t forget all about it.
Often, a small crack will become a large crack within only a short period of time. This, of course, will only make things more serious. Whatever the case, once it’s time to replace the windows, you should always hire a professional to do the job for you.
Some people will try to save money by replacing their windows on their own, but this almost never works out. More likely than not, you will install the window incorrectly, and a cascade of problems will result from it. But when you hire professionals to do the job for you, you won’t need to worry about a thing, and the windows should be installed perfectly.
That way, you won’t have to worry about any problems such as moisture damage, insects, or increased energy bills.
All About Replacing Cracked Windows
Replacing cracked windows is no laughing matter. If you leave a cracked window unattended, various problems can occur, such as moisture damage, mold growth, insect infestation, and increased energy bills, among other things. You should try to have a cracked window replaced as soon as you notice it’s cracked.
That way, you won’t have to worry about any of these problems in the first place. If you need to have a window replaced, hire one of our window contractors here.