Maybe you went through an attic conversion or you wanted more natural light in your home, and you decided to install roof windows. They’re one of the best choices when it comes to lighting, ventilation, and insulation, and that’s why they’ve been so popular lately. The problem is, no window remains in tip-top shape forever, and you might be starting to experience some issues with it. Don’t worry too much about when is the right time for a replacement because there are a couple of obvious signs you can observe.
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Leakage in Your Roof Window
This is by far the biggest sign you should replace your window. If you notice that there is even slight dripping from your window after some rain, this is extremely bad news.
The water dripping doesn’t only ruin your furniture, spoil, and humidify your house’s atmosphere, it is also a clear sign that the window’s insulation isn’t working anymore. This means that ability of your house to retain heat will be severely hampered, and you have to spend a lot of extra money on electricity bills just to keep your house as warm as it once was.
It is best to replace the window (and possibly the frame) as soon as possible when you find out about this issue. You’ll most likely get your money back in the long run because you’ll see a marked decrease in your electricity bills.
Cracks in the Window Pane
Cracks in the window pane are the most common cause of window replacement. Not only do they have the same insulation problems, but they are also a blot on your home’s design stylistically, and make your home appear old and abandoned.
The good news is, in most cases, you don’t need to replace the whole window to fix this issue. Just replacing the glass pane with a new one should fix all your problems, if the frame isn’t damaged or the pane isn’t fixed in the frame, which is the case in some old designs.
Condescension Forming Around Your Window
Check your roof windows on a particularly cold and humid day. Do you see condescension forming around the edges of your windows? This is generally terrible news.
Compared to the other signs in this article, this one is the least obvious, and you might think it is the least urgent, but the damage caused by condescension if left alone is much greater than the other problems.
Condescension means insulation isn’t working and the frame is getting damaged. Slowly, the humidity will rot away at the frame, and all too soon, it starts damaging the integrity of your whole roof. If this problem isn’t dealt with soon and the frame replaced, you might be looking at a range of more expensive problems later on.
Discolouration of the Frame and the Glass Pane
Roof windows have the greatest access to direct sunlight because of their position, and while this means more natural sunlight and warmer homes, it also comes with some disadvantages.
The constant sun beating down on the frame and the glass pane makes it discolour and deteriorate faster.
After a while, you see the glass slowly turning yellow and the frame looking really used. Aside from how it degrades aesthetically, a yellow glass pane will allow less natural light to come in, and the frame will start having a higher chance of facing condescension.
