Many of the most common home maintenance issues that homeowners find themselves facing are related to their windows. Windows that aren’t properly maintained can develop serious problems much faster than many people realize.
Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Cleaner
Keeping your windows clean is the most basic part of good window maintenance, but it’s something that plenty of people overlook. You don’t even need to spend much money on a window cleaner; you can make your own cleaning solution from simple household ingredients.
Simply combine two cups of water, a quarter cup of vinegar, and half a teaspoon of dish soap. This makes an effective and cheap window cleaner that is perfect for the routine cleaning of your windows.
Check Your Weather Stripping
Over time, the seal around the edge of your windows will degrade and erode due to weather. No matter how well you look after your windows, you will eventually need to replace the seal around the side.
While it should last for several years, you should aim to check your weather stripping relatively regularly. If you can see any physical damage to your window seal or if any pieces are coming loose, this is the clearest indication that you need to repair or replace your weather stripping.
Don’t Re-Paint Too Often
You will need to repaint the frames of your windows and doors every couple of years, but you should easily get 3 to 4 years out of each coat. Repainting too often can cause problems of its own, while not repainting your frames often enough will leave them exposed to weather damage.
As well as protecting your window frames from the effects of weather, repainting your frames will also ensure that they maintain their appearance. If you notice any chips or cracks in the paint around your windows, consider repainting that area in order to seal up any cracks and prevent water from seeping into the wood.
Fix Damage Promptly
Whenever you find damage of any kind to your windows or the surrounding frame, it is vital that you address it as soon as possible. If you leave even minor damage without fixing it, all it takes is a small amount of rainwater to get into the gap and freeze and you suddenly have a much bigger problem on your hands.
This can turn simple problems that are quick and cheap to fix into much larger problems that require a significant amount of your time. A good example of this is locks. If you do not regularly check and clean the locks on your window, they can become clogged, jammed, or rusted.
Looking after your windows properly shouldn’t be difficult. As long as you are able to stay on top of some basic routine maintenance tasks, it shouldn’t be hard to head off any issues while they are still minor and easy to solve. Make sure that you regularly check your windows and the surrounding frame for any dirt or damage that requires your attention.