Early November is the last comfortable window of the year to get windows and doors ready for a Chicago winter. Most days are still mild enough to work with windows open for a few minutes, and many exterior sealants still cure properly. Once the hard freezes arrive, small problems like a drafty sash, a lock that won’t latch or a fogging pane get more annoying and, in some cases, more expensive.
Here is the checklist we would run through on our own homes this month. Most of it takes an afternoon and nothing more than a flashlight and a rag.
1. Look for fog or moisture between the panes
Walk around the house on a cool morning and look at each double-pane window. Haze, droplets or streaks between the two sheets of glass mean the seal on that glass unit has failed. Wiping the glass won’t help, and the window now insulates less than it should.
The fix is usually to replace the sealed glass unit and keep the existing frame. Note which windows are affected so you can get one estimate for all of them. Read more about foggy window repair and why double-pane windows fog.
2. Find the drafts
On a windy day, slowly move the back of your hand around the edges of each window and door. You can also watch the smoke from a stick of incense: if it bends or flutters, air is getting in. The usual spots are where the two sashes of a double-hung window meet, the bottom of the lower sash, and the hinge side of casement windows.
Drafts usually come from worn weatherstripping, sashes that don’t close all the way, or gaps where the trim meets the wall. Most of these are repairable without replacing the window. See our guide to cold-weather window seals.
3. Lock every window
On a double-hung window, the sash lock does more than secure the window. Turning it pulls the two sashes tight against each other and closes the gap at the meeting rail. If a lock won’t turn, won’t catch or feels loose, the sash may be out of line or the lock may need replacing. On casement windows, close each one all the way with the crank and then lock it, so the sash presses into the weatherstripping. Cranks that slip or spin need a new operator. We fix both: locks, cranks and hardware.
4. Make sure every window opens, closes and stays put
Open and close each window once before winter. A double-hung sash that drops on its own or won’t stay up has a worn balance or a broken cord or pivot shoe. A window that sticks may have dirty tracks or a sash that has shifted. It is much easier to fix these now than to discover in January that a window won’t close. Details on sash and balance repair.
5. Clean tracks and weep holes
Vacuum the tracks of sliding windows and patio doors and wipe them down. Then find the small slots or holes at the bottom outside edge of the frame, called weep holes. They let rain and melting snow drain out. If they are packed with dirt or bugs, water can back up into the frame and freeze. A pipe cleaner or a small brush is usually enough to clear them.
6. Check sills and frames for soft wood
Press a screwdriver gently into the corners of wood sills and the bottom of the frames, inside and out. If it sinks in easily, the wood is rotting. Small soft spots can be cut out and rebuilt before winter moisture makes them worse. See window frame and sill repair and signs of wood rot in window frames.
7. Look at the outside caulk
Cracked, missing or pulled-away caulk where the window frame meets the siding or brick lets water and air in. Many exterior caulks need temperatures above roughly 40°F to cure properly, so check the label and do this on a mild day. If the gaps are large or keep reopening, the frame itself may be moving or damaged.
8. Doors: sweeps, thresholds and patio doors
Close each exterior door and look for daylight under it or around the edges. A worn door sweep or weatherstripping is a quick fix. A door that rubs, sags or has to be pushed hard to latch usually needs hinge or jamb work. Sliding patio doors that drag or won’t lock usually need new rollers or a track repair. More on door repair and sliding and patio door repair.
9. Storm windows and screens
If you have storm windows, lower the glass panels for the season and make sure they close fully. If you take screens out for winter, label them by window before you store them.
10. Watch indoor condensation
Some condensation on the inside of the glass on very cold mornings is normal, especially in kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. It is a sign of high indoor humidity rather than a broken window. Running bath and kitchen fans and keeping humidifiers at a moderate setting usually helps. Moisture between the panes, on the other hand, is a failed seal (see step 1).
Fix broken glass before the cold sets in
A cracked pane can spread with the temperature swings of a Chicago winter, and broken glass lets heat out and moisture in. If a window was cracked over the summer, now is the time to replace the glass. If a window was broken by a break-in or a storm, we can board it up and then replace the glass.
Can windows be repaired in winter?
Yes. Glass replacement, hardware, balances and most door repairs can be done all year. Some exterior work, such as caulking, painting and larger wood repairs, goes best on milder days, which is why November is a good month to get on the schedule. Read more in when to repair windows in Chicago.
Want us to take a look?
If your checklist turned up fogged glass, drafts, stuck sashes or soft wood, text a few photos to (847) 274-0368 or request a free estimate. We repair windows and doors across Chicagoland, Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 7 PM.