Feature

Abolish the Draft – From Windows, That Is

by Stuart Matlow

Window maintenance is yet another reason to be smug about San Francisco’s mild climate. We generally don’t bother with storm windows or screens, and winter heat loss here is a pittance compared to, say, Milwaukee. Still, windows are a major component of every apartment building, and their type and condition profoundly affect a building’s comfort, safety and operating costs.

Loose-fitting windows create drafts and permit the incursion of dirt and moisture. In addition to the obvious comfort and convenience factors, leaky windows waste energy and can damage paint, plaster, sheetrock, hardwood floors and carpeting if ignored. Ominously, they can also promote mold growth, which presents a health hazard and can be expensive to clean up. Our urban setting also makes sound insulation an important window-related factor.

Autumn is a good time to inspect windows, providing time to correct any deficiencies before the rainy season hits.

Wood-framed Windows

A majority of older apartment buildings feature wood-framed windows of various configurations. Wood-framed windows can last a lifetime with proper maintenance. The key is to protect the wood from absorbing moisture and minimizing overheating from sun exposure. Both make wood expand and eventually crack, producing gaps, binding and leaks.

One school of thought holds that high gloss white paint is the ideal weather protection for exterior wood. Water rolls right off, and the heat of the sun bounces off. Three coats of high-quality paint should provide a maintenance-free window for five to seven years. Color is less of a factor for interior surfaces, but window frames, sills, sashes and caps should still be sealed to prevent moisture absorption.

Dealing with A Jammed Jamb

When a wood-frame double-hung window (the kind with lower and upper sections that slide up and down in the frame) sticks because of swelling or because it is painted shut, you can often free it without too much trouble.

First, run a window saw (a trowel-shaped saw with a thin blade) between the sashes (the movable parts) and the window frame. Alternately, you can tap a putty knife into this joint. Hopefully, you can then “persuade” the window open by hitting upward on the lower sash with your palms. Then it is simply a matter of brushing any dirt out of the frame and rubbing a bar of soap along the tracks for the window. The soap lubricates the window without attracting dust. If the window still sticks, more extensive repair or replacement may be in order.

Most windows contain weather stripping, flexible material that provides an airtight barrier while permitting movement between parts. It rarely requires attention. Just keep paint off the weather stripping and check to see that it remains flexible. Should weather stripping become brittle and cracked, just pull it from its groove, cut a new piece and reinsert it.

If you have the type of windows that swing outward, hit the hinges and any cranking mechanism with a shot of spray lubricant every two years or so for smooth, squeak free operation.

When is it Time to Replace?

Eventually, many wooden windows will deteriorate to the point where routine maintenance fails to bring them back. Another time to consider replacing windows is when a building is due to be repainted.

“Wooden windows with many panes drive up painting costs,” observes Tom From, owner of The Window Specialist, a San Francisco window contractor. “The additional cost to paint old windows frequently equals about half the cost to replace them with state-of-the-art technology, which greatly improves performance while eliminating maintenance forever. In other words, owners get half of the new windows for free along with ongoing annual savings.”

There are also many choices of materials appropriate for a window’s frame, sash and sill material. Reputable contractors agree that vinyl is the way to go in most cases. The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) rates window frames according to their performance in a standardized aging test involving exposure to ultraviolet light, moisture and extreme temperatures. A is the best, followed by B and C. Vinyl provides the best combination of durability, aesthetics, performance and cost.

New wooden window frames offer good insulation and preserve the original appearance of older buildings. They also require periodic painting and can deteriorate. Some manufacturers cover their wood frames with vinyl or aluminum, reducing maintenance without sacrificing thermal performance or appearance.

Metal window frames reduce the need for maintenance and tend to operate more smoothly than wooden windows. However, metal doesn’t insulate as well as wood and also tends to be draftier than other choices.

There are also window frames made today from composites of wood, vinyl and epoxies. These are very rugged, long-lived, low-maintenance choices. They are also available in configurations to blend in with many architectural styles.

If the original wood window frame is still in serviceable shape, sash replacement kits can be an economical way to restore or upgrade window performance while preserving the building’s original aesthetics. The old sashes (movable window parts containing the glass) are merely removed and replaced with new ones.

Replacement windows are available featuring full-area sheets of glass and wood or plastic grilles that provide the appearance of multiple panes. The edge joints of true multi-pane glass can age and leak, a problem eliminated with one large pane. The grilles never need painting, eliminating a significant recurring expense.

Virtually all the new windows feature double-pane glazing in which two layers of glass sandwich an insulating layer of gas or air. The thermal and sound insulating qualities are far superior to old single-pane windows at about the same cost, so few manufacturers even bother with the latter.

Replacing the windows of an apartment building is not a project to be taken lightly, from either a cost or disruption standpoint. Preventive maintenance of existing windows can reduce future problems. There is, however, rapid financial justification for installing modern window systems, in terms of eliminating maintenance requirements and enhancing the property’s value.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Stuart Matlow writes on a variety of topics, including biotechnology, engineering and logistics. A former board member of his HOA, he lives in a 58-unit building that continually demands repairs.