Checking Windows for Leaks

The hot summer in Agoura Hills, CA is over and cooler weather is moving in. It is time to take a look at your windows. Windows are prone to water and air leaks through any cracks or openings. Sometimes the air can get trapped inside the walls, leaking into your home through the outlets and up through floorboards. Not only do leaks cause damage, but they can also produce cold spots and drive up your utility bills.

That is why it is important to perform routine inspections on your windows, especially during seasonal changes. Performing the checks is quite simple. Here are a few easy steps you can follow to keep your home safe and protected against the elements.

Visual Inspection

You need to check windows, both inside and outside. To inspect the interior pull back the window treatments. Look around the perimeter of the window, checking for any light shining through where it shouldn’t. Even a small gap can become a big problem. You should also look for fogging or moisture trapped between panes. This indicates a broken seal.

On the outside of your home, inspect the caulking to see where it might be failing. Make sure the weather stripping around windows is intact. Take note of any damage that requires replacement.

Another simple way to perform this test is to perform a hand test on a cooler day in Agoura Hills, CA. Turn on the heat inside your home and run your hand around the inside surfaces of your windows. If you feel cold air, then you likely have an air leak.

Physical Inspection

Unfortunately, not all air leaks are obvious. Another way to detect air leaks is by using a stick of incense. Close all the windows and doors in your home and turn on the exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathrooms. To increase accuracy, make sure there is no additional airflow by shutting down your furnace and air conditioner. This will create negative pressure inside your home. Any crack or opening will suck air into the home as the fans work to pump it out.

Light the stick of incense and run it around the perimeter of windows. If the smoke is undisturbed, there are likely no leaks. If it waivers and is drawn inward by outside air, then you have a problem.

Another option is much more technical. You can detect air leaks with an infrared thermometer. It measures ambient air temperatures. Where cold air is coming in, the thermometer shows a colder temperature. You will know the areas where you are most vulnerable.

Call in a Professional

You might want to hire a professional to perform more advanced tests. They might perform a “blower-door” test. Or perhaps you can get a free energy audit from the local utility company in Agoura Hills, CA. They can easily help you find air leaks and give you the best options for repair. Sometimes it will be as easy as reapplying caulk. Other cases will require replacement windows.

Let the professionals at Quality Windows & Doors lend a hand. If you need replacement windows in Agoura Hills, CA, you want to be sure the installation is done properly so there are no leaks in your new windows. Call us today at (310) 456-3979 or visit us at 1430 S Oxnard Blvd. Oxnard, California 93030.