Fall Window and Door Checklist for Sacramento Homes Before the Rain

Sacramento summers are hard on windows. Months of triple digit heat bake the caulk, dust packs the tracks, and screens take a beating from sun and pets. Then the first storm rolls in and you find out what failed. Here is the same list we use when we walk a house.

Outside: glass, caulk and weep holes

• Cracks and chips. A small chip can run into a full crack once the nights get cold. Stress cracks usually start at an edge of the glass.
• Caulk and seals. Look for gaps, cracking, or caulk that has pulled away from the frame. That is where the water gets in.
• Weep holes. Most vinyl and aluminum windows have small drain slots at the bottom of the frame. If they are packed with dirt or spider webs, rain backs up into the track. A soft brush or a bent paper clip clears them.
• Skylights. Check the glass from outside if you can do it safely, and look for stains around the edges from inside.

Inside: fog, drafts and condensation

• Fog or haze between the panes. That means the seal on the dual pane unit has failed and the insulating gas has leaked out. It will not clear up on its own, but you can usually replace just the glass. Here is why windows fog between the panes.
• Water on the inside of the glass on cold mornings. That is usually indoor humidity, not a broken window. Run the bath and kitchen fans and open the blinds so air can move. If the moisture is between the panes, see above.
• Drafts. Run your hand along the edges on a windy day. A cold draft points to worn weatherstripping, a sash that does not close tight, or a failed seal.
• Bedroom windows. Make sure every bedroom window still opens all the way. In a fire it is a way out.

Sliding doors and locks

• Open and close every slider. If it drags, scrapes or jumps the track, the rollers are usually worn or the track is packed with dirt. See why a sliding door gets hard to open.
• Vacuum the track and wipe it down. Skip the grease, it just collects more dirt.
• Check that every lock catches on the first try. Longer nights mean more break-ins, and a slider that will not lock is an easy target.

A slider that rolls with one finger and locks every time. That is what you want going into winter.

Screens

Torn or bent screens let bugs in all fall and let leaves pile up in the tracks. Solar screens that worked hard all summer can come down for winter if you want more light inside, then go back up in spring. If you are on the fence about them, here is what solar screens can and cannot do. We also make and replace window screens, sun screens and security doors.

What to fix now and what can wait

• Fix now: broken or cracked glass, windows and sliders that will not lock, and bedroom windows that will not open.
• Fix before it gets cold: foggy dual pane units and big drafts. They cost you on every heating bill until they are fixed.
• Can wait for spring: cosmetic scratches, new solar screens and whole house window upgrades, unless you want them done before the holidays.