Windows, because of their particular nature, can be more susceptible to damage from the weather than other parts of your home. The glass panes of your windows, as well as the mechanisms that allow them to open and close to let in light and air, are particularly susceptible to damage. As with most things in nature, damage from the elements tends to follow the path of least resistance, and compared to the rest of your home, the glass and mechanisms of your window are much easier to damage.

Shattered window glass

Hail and flying debris can damage the most vulnerable part of your window, the glass. Depending on the force of the impact, the glass can crack, or shatter outright. The style of the window can affect just how much damage the glass sustains: windows with a large glass surface, such as a picture window or sliding window, may require full glass replacement; while windows with multiple sashes, as is the case with a double hung window, may require replacement of only part of the window.

Damage to the window frame

Even if the glass isn’t affected, the window frame can be damaged by the effects of a storm. Strong impacts, such as those from hail or debris, can punch holes into the window frame. Even if the impact is insufficient to penetrate the frame directly, it can still be strong enough to crack the material. In either case, the window frame will have been compromised, and and will no longer be able to protect your home as well as it did before.

PART ONE: WINDOWS AND THE ELEMENTS

Window seal damage

The least bit of storm damage can be insidious, even if there is no direct damage to the window structure. Storms can damage your window’s seals, allowing moisture into your home. Over time, this will affect your home’s general energy efficiency, as well as directly impact how comfortable you are in your home. While the window seals themselves can be repaired, you may end up having to replace the windows anyway to ensure the security and comfort of your home.

So what can you do to help prevent damage to your home? Part II lists some of the methods available to you.

PART ONE: WINDOWS AND THE ELEMENTS

The glass is clearly the part of your window most susceptible to damage. There are various methods you can employ, however, to help protect your home from window damage due to storms. Protective measures that can be taken in advance of a storm – like installing storm shutters – have the advantage of being easily deployed once installed. Others, like installing windows with high-impact glass, take a little more forethought and planning to benefit from.

Plywood covers

Installed over the frame to cover your windows in advance of a storm, plywood window covers are a cheap and effective way to protect your windows. The covers require the use of heavy-duty screws and anchors, bolts, or clips to fasten, and involve some effort to put them up before the storm arrives. As the boards block out light, they cannot be left on indefinitely, unless you can stand to have your windows boarded up over the long term.

Storm shutters

Also known as hurricane shutters, storm shutters are a great way to protect your windows from strong winds and flying debris. They are also more convenient to use than plywood covers; once the shutters have been installed, it is a simple matter of rolling them into place when there’s an impending storm. Installing storm shutters may require a sizeable initial outlay, but the expense can be cushioned by a subsequent reduction in insurance costs.

PART TWO: PROTECTING YOUR PANES

High impact glass

High impact glass, also known as tempered glass, is also an option available to owners of homes subject to regular storm damage. Made from two panes of glass separated by a plastic film, tempered glass will still break if subjected to a strong enough impact, but will stay mostly intact without shattering, saving your home from being littered with broken glass. Unlike the other options listed here, high-impact glass is always in place, minimizing your need to rush about the house getting things ready when a storm is coming. As with storm shutters, choosing to install windows with high impact glass panes can result in a reduction in your insurance payments.

Proper window installation is an important part of protecting your home from the elements. More in Part III.

PART TWO: PROTECTING YOUR PANES

It goes without saying that if you use something improperly, then it’s not going to work in the way it was meant to work. It is surprising, then, how often people will stick windows any which way onto a home and expect them to work properly. This is often true in the case of homeowners struggling with the desire to do the work themselves, or even of professionals who do not take the time to properly review the manufacturer’s instructions for installation. Either way, you’re setting yourself up for a host of problems by not taking the time to install your windows properly.

Moisture penetration and improperly-installed windows

One of the problems with a window that isn’t installed properly is the fact that this leaves the window vulnerable to moisture penetration. Even professionals often forget that no matter how well your home’s siding is installed, water will find a way past the siding and will seek out any available avenues into your home. Moisture collecting like this will eventually slide down the wall and encounter the window opening. If the window is not properly flush against the wall, then the water will find its way into the wall cavity, eventually leading to the growth of mold and rot. Even the tiniest opening, the smallest crack, or irregularity in the window installation will allow moisture to enter this way. The ensuing mold and rot will not only pose a danger to your home, but can also seriously affect the health of the home’s residents.

PART THREE: THE PERILS OF IMPROPER WINDOW INSTALLATION

Reduced energy efficiency

Where moisture can find its way in, air can, too. Properly sealed windows play a major part in your home’s energy efficiency, keeping warm air out and cold air in during the hot months, and the reverse during the colder times of the year. An improperly installed window is a crack in your home’s air seal, increasing your heating and cooling costs year-round.

Voiding the warranty

Replacing your windows can be a major investment, and naturally you’ll want a proper warranty in place to protect your investment. Improper window installation can end up rendering your warranty void, removing one of the most important ways for you to protect your investment. By taking shortcuts with your windows, you could end up costing yourself more in the long run.

PART THREE: THE PERILS OF IMPROPER WINDOW INSTALLATION

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