Who doesn’t want to save a few bucks? Many homeowners are unaware that they can save a lot of money if they check the replacement windows on their Irvine, CA home for leaks. A common culprit of wasted energy, and therefore wasted money, during the winter and summer months alike are hidden air leaks around your windows. Whether normal wear and tear have taken a toll on your replacement windows, or if they were never airtight to begin with, a leaky window can be a huge money and energy suck.

Leaks easily occur at the weakest points of contact, as people with older homes can tell you. New homeowners shouldn’t let their guards down, though, as new replacement windows can develop leaks pretty quickly, especially on high-traffic windows that are opened and closed a lot, or face a lot of exterior force like strong winds, cold, or direct sunlight.

Any replacement window will break down after months of abuse, leaving tiny but very expensive leaks in your home’s insulation. Are you wondering if your windows are leaky? Use these techniques to find out:

• Be on the lookout for extra or unwanted light creeping around the edges of windows. If a window is in the shade, you can use a flashlight to check for light leak.
• Feel around for cool or warm air on the inside of a closed window. If there is no visible sign of a space or crack, move your hand around the window’s perimeter to feel for leaks.
• Light an incense stick and have someone stand on the inside of a closed replacement window and move the lit stick around the window perimeter. If you see smoke being sucked out or blown inward, you’ve found a leak.

Don’t worry if you find a leak with any of the above tests. Leaky windows can be very simple to fix. Depending on your window’s design, there are a lot of different solutions with various weather-stripping materials like brass with rubber, aluminum with rubber, vinyl, soft rubber and rigid rubber. You can install this weather-stripping along the window’s sides, top and bottom to fill the gaps and stop leaks. For example, if there is a big gap at the bottom of your window, you can buy a hard rubber channel at your local hardware store and slide it into the bottom of the window to improve the seal.

If all these tips don’t get you the results you want, another great option is to invest in new windows. Some replacement windows come with leak resistance or weather-stripping built right in for your convenience, and newly installed replacement windows are more likely to be leak-free for a while.

Cunningham Doors & Windows can help you out with any of your Irvine, CA replacement window needs. Please stop by and visit us at 1940 E Edinger Ave Santa Ana, CA 92705, or give us a call at (714) 258-2500 for more information on what we can do for you.