New windows are a big investment, but one that will hopefully save you a lot of money in home heating and cooling bills long into the future. Here are ten easy ways to make your new windows last longer - Repaint: To preserve wood frames, repaint them every three to five years, depending on your prevailing weather conditions.
- Maintain: Yearly maintenance (such as filling cracks with putty and caulking the edges) goes a long way toward extending the life of wood frames.
- Restore: To restore spots that are not badly damaged, take a screwdriver and clean out any rotted wood.
- Fill it up: Fill cracks or holes with wood or epoxy putty, building up layers, if need be.
- Refinish: Soak with wood preservative, allow to dry, then sand smooth, prime, and paint.
- Protect: To protect a particularly vulnerable sill, you can cover it with a sheet of aluminum and paint it to match the wood. This is actually a very easy project and offers excellent protection.
- Clean up: Even vinyl and aluminum window frames need a little basic care. Scrub both types with a natural bristle brush and detergent solution. If you have anodized aluminum frames, restore their luster by polishing them with fine steel wool then coating them with paste wax.
- Brush off: Keeping weather stripping clean will extend its life. Periodically brush off loose dirt and clean the surfaces around it. When needed, wipe weather stripping with a soapy sponge and rinse with clean water.
- Replace: When replacing weather stripping on a window, it's a good idea to replace all of the material — not just the damaged part.
- Patch it: Patching a small hole or tear in a screen will prevent you from having to replace it later.
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