Why Do My Windows Stick, Fog or Let in Dust

Half an inch of packed grit in a bottom track is enough to make a slider drag like a drawer with a bad runner. Most window failures in San Bernardino, CA trace back to a short list of causes, and the pattern that window installers san bernardino cowboy santas has logged on service calls is dust, sun and seals, in about that order. Each one leaves a mark that can be read at the sash before anyone decides to pull a frame out or install a new one.

Fog Between the Panes

Moisture or haze trapped inside a double pane unit means the edge seal has failed and the insulated glass has lost its sealed space. Wiping the outside of the glass does nothing for it, because the film sits inside the sandwich. The frame is often still sound. In many cases only the glass unit needs to be replaced, and the sash and frame stay in the wall.

Sliders That Stick or Drag

A slider rides on its bottom track, and wind blown dust packs into it until the rollers climb the grit instead of rolling. In Muscoy and the washes near Loma Linda the track fills fast. Scraping the channel, vacuuming it, and checking the rollers usually restores the glide. Weep holes at the bottom of the frame let water drain out, and dust can plug them, so a pin or a thin brush should clear each one. New windows still need their tracks cleaned.

Drafts and Dust During Santa Ana Winds

Worn weatherstripping lets drafts and fine dust slip past a closed sash, and dry Santa Ana events show it quickly. A fine line of dust on the sill under a shut window points to a compressed or flattened seal. Outside, cracked or shrunken sealant around the frame lets in air, dust and water over time. Across San Bernardino County and into Redlands, the sealant on south and west walls tends to go first.

Sun-Worn Frames

Long sun exposure can make some older vinyl frames brittle or discolored. A vinyl window that chalks or snaps a corner when a screen is removed has aged out at the surface. An aluminum window shows a different kind of wear, with oxidized finish and corroded corners where water sat. Neither problem is cosmetic once the material starts to crack, because the cracks open the path for water and air.

Windows That Will Not Lock

A sash that is out of square or a latch that no longer lines up with its keeper are the usual reasons a lock fights back. On a casement, the hinge arm can drop the sash a few sixteenths, enough to miss the keeper. Moving the keeper or adjusting the hinge often solves it. When the sash itself is racked, the frame may have shifted and the opening needs to be checked for square before anything else is touched.