Three Ways to Know that It’s Time for Replacement Windows or Doors in Your Cave Creek, AZ Home

Living in Cave Creek, Arizona, you enjoy many of the wonderful benefits of this part of the country. You enjoy incredible weather throughout much of the year, dry air that is beneficial for many reasons, and great property values. While there are certainly some things that we have to take into consideration when it comes to our homes, one thing that commonly gets overlooked is the prospect of choosing replacement windows or doors.

For the most part, the windows and doors in our homes tend to go unnoticed, until they are old, worn out, or broken. However, just because you may not have a broken window, cracked door, or other problems with these aspects of your home, it doesn’t mean that it’s not time to seriously consider replacing them now.

There are several reasons why it may very well be time to seriously consider replacement windows and doors for your Cave Creek home. We have chosen three to highlight, as they are common (and commonly overlooked).

1. You feel drafts seeping through the glass.

It’s true that we don’t have to contend with harsh winter weather like the states to the north, or even up in Flagstaff and other higher elevation parts of the state, but the evenings and overnights can certainly get cold during the winter months out here in Cave Creek.

As a result, when you’re walking around during one of the cold spells and you have the heating system on just to provide you with some comfort through the night, you may feel cold air pushing into your home through the windows, through thin exterior doors, or even underneath the doors or around the frames.

Every single minute that you feel these drafts coming into the home is money that you’re losing through them.

But it’s not just winter when you could be losing money through your old, outdated, and inefficient windows and doors; you could be losing money during the hot summer months as well.

Running the air conditioning system costs money. If you feel drafts coming through the windows and around the doors during the winter, then you’re also going to be losing cool air in the summer, getting sucked out into the hot air outside.

On top of that, if you don’t have any type of film coating over your windows, you may be dealing with the full brunt of the sun’s powerful UV rays. It’s the ultraviolet radiation from the sun that generates heat.

Today, you can choose from low-e and other film coatings for windows and glass fixtures on doors that will cut the amount of heat-generating UV rays that get into your home, helping it to stay cooler throughout the spring, summer, and fall months. Cutting out as much of the UV rays as possible will also help protect carpeting and furniture from fading.

2. Hardware and locking mechanisms are wearing out and ineffective.

The older that windows are, the more likely you’ll have problems locking them. You may also have certain types of windows that open using a crank (casement windows) or sliders. These can become corroded over time or simply wear out.

When you notice that the hardware on your windows or even the handles and locks on your doors, as well as the hinges, are starting to groan, make it difficult to open and close them, and have other problems, then it’s likely time to seriously consider replacing them.

Why not just fix the hardware?

Because we live in a relatively low humidity climate, corrosion takes longer. As such, when you begin to notice that your current windows and doors are showing their age in the hardware, it’s probably been at least 15 or 20 years since they were first installed, and maybe even longer.

The average life expectancy of windows and doors is 15 to 20 years, so that would be a good indicator that it’s time to consider replacement ones. You could certainly shop around to find replacement hardware, but you will miss out on some incredible energy savings opportunities, as well as the chance to completely update and renovate your entire home.

3. Difficulty opening or closing the windows and doors.

Humidity is generally the most common reason why wood doors and even windows expand, making it more difficult to open them during the hotter summer months. Here in Cave Creek, we don’t need to be too concerned about the humidity, however. So when you notice that it’s getting tougher and tougher to open the windows or doors in your home, it could be due to the fact that they are wearing out.

The windows could be warping, shifting, or have been repainted to look new one too many times. The doors may have been opened and slammed shut far too often and it’s taken a toll on their condition.

When you begin to avoid opening the windows in your home during those comfortable mornings and early afternoons, or later in the evening when you may be able to enjoy a nice breeze bringing fresh air through your home, then you should take a moment to imagine what you could be doing if you have brand new replacement windows and doors.

There are plenty of other reasons why it might very well be time to look into replacement windows and doors, though.

Other reasons to consider replacement windows and doors.

You may want to increase the value of your home if you’re thinking of selling in the next year or two. Replacing the windows and doors is one surefire way to accomplish that.

If you tend to keep the window treatments or coverings closed over your windows because they simply look terrible, replacing them will encourage you to throw open those window coverings and enjoy the beautiful days that we have out here in Cave Creek.

If you are still unsure whether now is the right time to consider replacement windows and doors, contact Freelite today.