Repair or replace

Not every window problem needs a new window. These articles go symptom by symptom: what a failed seal, a draft or a rotted sill usually means, what a repair involves, and when replacing the whole unit is the more sensible choice.

Repair or Replace Windows? A Decision Guide by Symptom
Fogged glass, drafts, rot, sticking sashes, broken hardware or single panes. Which window problems a repair fixes, which call for replacement, and what each costs.
Broken Window Glass Repair: First Steps and Options
What to do the day a window pane cracks or breaks, when a crack can be repaired, reglazing vs a new insulated glass unit, and where safety glass applies.
Historic Home Windows: Review, Repair or Replace
How preservation review works for windows in historic districts, what the Park Service's Preservation Briefs say on repair and storms, and when to replace.
Caulk Around Windows: Inside, Outside and How Often
Which sealant goes outside and which inside, how often caulk around windows needs redoing, where not to caulk, and when new caulk is hiding a frame problem.
Rotted Window Frame: Repair or Replace?
How to judge rot in a window frame, when epoxy or a new sash is enough, when the whole window has to go, and how hidden rot changes a replacement quote.
Window Hard to Open? Causes by Window Type
Why a window gets hard to open, by type, from worn double-hung balances and painted wood sashes to casement operators and slider tracks, and when a sash is past repair.
Window Frame Replacement Cost: Frame, Sash or Whole Window
What frame replacement and frame repair cost in two guides, when frame-only or sash-only work is possible, and when a damaged frame means a new window.
Window Leaks When It Rains: Finding the Source
How to trace a rain leak to the glazing, frame joints, weep holes, sill or flashing, what a homeowner can fix, and when the leak points to an installation defect.
Window Maintenance Checklist: A Yearly Routine
A yearly window maintenance checklist for weep holes, caulk, hardware, screens and tracks, and what manufacturer warranties say about maintenance and cleaners.
Drafty Windows: What to Try First
How to find where a drafty window leaks, what weatherstripping, caulk and storm windows do according to DOE, and the signs a draft is a frame problem instead.
Foggy Window Between Panes: Repair Options
Why the seal on a double-pane window fails, how a new glass unit, a defogging service and a new window compare, and what manufacturer warranties say about seals.
Window Repair Cost: Common Repairs Priced Side by Side
What common window repairs cost in two national cost guides, side by side and dated, why their ranges differ, and when a repair stops making sense.
Window Screen Replacement: Rescreen or Buy New?
When to rescreen an existing frame and when to order a new screen from the window maker, the mesh types, how to measure, and the prices sources report.
How Long Do Windows Last? Lifespan by Frame and Glass
How long windows last by frame material and glass unit, as manufacturers and warranties state it, and the signs a window is wearing out, each with a repair to try first.
Window Condensation: Inside, Outside or Between the Panes
What condensation on a window means in each of its three places, which one points to a failed seal, the humidity behind it, and when it calls for repair or replacement.
Window Sash Replacement: When You Can Replace Just the Sash
You can often replace just the window sash when the frame is sound. How sash replacement works, who sells replacement sashes, and survey costs against a new window.

Other topics