Windows and doors maintenance

• Homes today use a wide variety of windows, including:

• Bay
• Casement
• Double hung
• Stained glass
• Leaded glass
• Skylights

• Cleaning - Every time it rains, or leaves fall from the trees, your house is at risk of corrosion of various types. One danger is crevice corrosion, which occurs where there are crevices formed in metals and they are exposed to corrosive environments. Rain gutters filled with leaves, window ledges covered with dirt, and exposed pipe joints all are prime spots for crevice corrosion.

You also may see stress corrosion, known as "metal fatigue," which can develop where metals are subjected to bending, pulling or twisting. Bent metal frames on outside doors or windows are common spots for stress corrosion. It is important to keep exterior metal surfaces clean and dry. A build-up of debris or dirt around metal increases the risk of corrosion. Leaves in rain gutters, dirt under gaskets or washers, and dirt collected around aluminum or steel windows can lead to corrosion if left untreated.

• Lubricating - Windows provide light, ventilation, a visual contact with the outside world, and a means to an emergency escape. Keeping windows in good operating order is also an important consideration in the amount of energy required to heat and cool your home. Most windows include one or more movable sashes. Windows that do not operate usually have one or more of the following problems:

• Excess paint. To break a paint seal, tap a broad-blade putty knife between the sash and the frame, then work it back and forth. Repeat this at several spots until the sash is free. Once you get the sash moving, lubricate with a paste wax, paraffin, or soap.
• Swelling due to moisture. Refit the window to allow for more clearance. This is a job for a carpenter.
• Failure of springs in double-hung windows. Raise the window and get a good grip on the tube holding the spring. Loosen the screw holding it to the jamb. If the window raises too easily, let the spring turn a couple of revolutions. If it is too hard to move, tighten the spring by turning it clockwise. You may need to adjust both lifts. Replace the screw.

• Caulking - A window that leaks air can also mean excessive energy loss -- and cost. Summer or winter, you don't want your house to leak air, especially if you spend your hard earned dollars warming or cooling it.

Test a window for leaks by holding a lighted candle near all its joints and connections. If the candle flickers, you have an air leak. Check where one section of the window meets another, Where the windows meet the frame, and Where the frame meets the wall

You seal air leaks in the same way that you seal water leaks -- by caulking exterior leaks and replacing weather stripping. Also, foam sealant can be injected between the frame of the window and the frame of the house. This is a major deterrent to air infiltration and also prevents water from leaking into the house

Condensation around windows can result when a window leaks air. Cold outside air mixes with warm inside air and creates a wet layer of condensation over the entire window. Condensation can actually form enough moisture to cause wood to rot. And don't forget mildew. Condensation is basically a feed bag for mildew. Condensation can be reduced by:

-Sealing air leaks
-Replacing single-pane glass with double-pane "insulated" glass
-Using wood frame windows
-Using storm windows

If you have insulated windows and you see rainbows or condensation between the two sheets of glass, then your window has failed and should be replaced. The frame can remain, but the glass must be replaced. Here it is important to shop for the best guarantee. Where there are many who are ready to "sell to you" to get their piece of the almighty buck, there are a few who do offer a lifetime warranty. Study this aspect of your purchase carefully. A failed insulated window is expensive to replace at $150 and up.

• Keep your doors well maintained and finished beautifully. Doors can convey the condition of a home. There are many kinds of doors including:

• French doors
• Solid
• Cored
• Metal
• Wood
• Pocket

• Hinged Doors That Stick - Damp or damaged weather stripping is a possible cause for sticking doors. Inspect your weather stripping carefully for damage. If you find a damaged area, straighten with small-nosed pliers and re-nail if it is loose.

If the door sags at the hinges or swells from moisture, sticking may be apparent at the threshold. Tighten the screws at the hinges if this is the problem. If the screws are not long enough to hold the hinge in place, replace them one at a time with a longer screw, or insert a matchstick or wooden peg into the hole. Cover the peg with epoxy glue and allow to dry thoroughly. Re-drill the hole and insert the screw.

Look for a shiny spot on the door where it sticks. Open and close the door slowly to find the spot. Sand down the shiny area but do not sand too much or the door will not fit as tightly as it should.

If the door or frame is badly out of shape, you may have to remove the door and plane down the part that drags.

To stop the rattle in a knob, loosen the setscrew on the knob. Remove the knob. Put a small piece of putty or modeling clay in the knob. Put the knob back on and push it on as far as possible. Tighten the screws.

• Squeaky Hinges - If the hinge seems to be the cause for the squeak, tap out the hinge pin with a hammer and screwdriver. Apply a drop of oil and rub over the inside of the hinge, wiping off excess oil. Place powdered graphite over the hinge, then reassemble. If the hinge pin can't be removed, use powdered graphite only.

• Noisy Friction Catches - If there seems to be an excess amount of noise on friction catches, there are several things you can do to eliminate this problem. A stock lubricant can be used on a catch at the points of contact. If the friction catch is on something like an oven door (which is near heat), use a lead pencil at the meeting points. On spring hinges, powdered graphite eliminates the noise.

• Hard-To-Turn Locks - Use powdered graphite in a hard-to-turn lock and around the latch. Do not use any oil on the locks, since dust adheres to it, and the lock is difficult to clean.

• Leaking doors - An exterior door may be more energy efficient than a window, but a door can leak just as much water and air.

If you find moisture on the entry floor, it could be a leak between the threshold and the door bottom. The threshold is the wood or metal platform at the base of the doorway. It usually tilts outward to shed water. The bottoms of most exterior doors are fitted with a metal door bottom or "shoe" that houses a rubber gasket. The door shoe is attached to the bottom of the door with screws driven through oblong slots in the shoe. The oblong slots allow the door bottom to be adjusted up and down as the house -- and consequently the door -- shift up and down. When the door is closed, the rubber gasket is supposed to rest tightly against the full length of the threshold preventing the influx of air and water.

No matter how successfully the door shoe and threshold work to prevent air and water leaks, there could be yet another problem. The threshold itself might leak. Exterior door thresholds are normally laid in a thick bed of caulk when originally installed. Occasionally, the caulk shrinks and the threshold leaks. The only way to prevent future leaks is to remove the threshold, re-caulk the area, and replace the threshold. Be sure to readjust the door shoe once the threshold has been replaced.

Stopping air leaks An air leak in a doorframe is pretty common. Use the candle test described earlier to see just how severe the problem is.

Foam sealant can be added between the frame of the door and the frame of the house by removing the interior door casing. The casing is the wood trim that covers the joint between the doorframe and the wall. Use a flat pry bar to slowly remove the trim so that it won't be damaged.