Door & Window Maintenance Guide

Don’t get caught out once Winter sets in! A few maintenance checks and fixes carried out in Autumn will keep your home warm and toasty…

The kids are back to school, daytime temperatures are cooling and the nights are drawing in… Autumn is the perfect time to start preparing your home for Winter – starting by giving your windows and doors some attention!

Rather than waiting until it gets really cold and discovering that you have ill-fitting doors and windows, a few simple checks now will help keep you and your family warm through the Winter (and avoid wasted money on energy bills).

To help you we’ve put together a handy window & door checklist and maintenance guide with some tips and advice on how to get your home ready for Winter.

Window & Door Maintenance Guide

Getting your home ready for Winter

Check for Draughts

Run your hand around the edges of your windows and doors – can you feel a draught? Worn seals and ill-fitting doors and windows can affect the amount of cold air and moisture entering your home.

Windows:

Check the rubber seals for cracks, gaps or damage.
Make sure the window closes tightly against the frame.
Clean the seals and frame to remove anything that is preventing a tight closure.
Replace worn seals if necessary.

Doors:

Check the bottom seal or draught excluder.
Look for gaps around the sides of the door.
Check that the door closes firmly against its seals.
Replace worn or damaged weather stripping/draught excluders.
Don’t forget to check the letter-box – these can also let cold air in!

Make sure everything opens and closes properly

Windows and doors should operate smoothly. If a handle is becoming difficult to turn, a window is sticking or a door needs to be pushed or pulled to close properly, it could be a sign that adjustment or maintenance is needed.

Check your locks and handles

Make sure handles, locks and other hardware are working correctly. Your windows and doors are an important part of your home’s security, so it’s worth dealing with stiff, loose or damaged hardware. Don’t wait until something stops working completely!

Clean away any dirt and debris.
Use a suitable lubricant for your particular hardware.
Check that the door or window is properly aligned.
Never force a stiff lock or handle.

Look for cloudy or misted glass

Have you noticed condensation or a cloudy appearance between the panes of your double glazing? This can indicate that the sealed unit has failed. A misted unit doesn’t necessarily mean the entire window needs replacing. In some cases the glass unit itself may be replaceable. It’s worth getting professional advice before deciding what to do.

Don't let small issues now become bigger problems later

A stiff handle might seem like a minor inconvenience. A small draught might not seem worth worrying about. A little misting might have been there for years. Small issues with your windows and doors can gradually become more noticeable, particularly once the cold weather arrives! So at FIS we always recommend an early Autumn check – giving you time to get things fixed before winter sets in…

To Repair or Replace?

In many cases a simple adjustment, a replacement seal, new hardware or a replacement glass unit may be all that’s required. There can come a point however where repairing an older window or door is no longer the most practical long-term solution.

It may be worth considering replacement windows or doors if they are:

Draughty
Sticking or difficult to operate
Showing signs of worn or damaged seals
Permanently misty between the panes
Showing signs of deterioration
Looking tired or dated
Becoming increasingly expensive to repair

If any of these apply to your home, it could be worth looking at replacement options, but you don’t have to replace ALL windows and doors at once.

Contact FIS by completing the form below to arrange a free, no-obligation quotation and advice on replacing your windows and doors. Or pop into our Ipswich showroom on Holywells Road to look at our products and chat with a member of our team!

Get in touch

Customer feedback...

We would like to thank you and your colleagues for the fantastic job you did with our front door, we are both thrilled with the finish and quality of your product. The fitter did a good job and left everywhere clean and tidy all at a good price. We will have no problem recommending you and FIS Windows Ltd to friends, family or anybody else that needs windows or doors. Once again many thanks.

FIS were great from start to finish. No pushy sales but quoted just what we wanted. Measurement and survey and Installation to fit with your schedule. Superb fitting and high quality finished products. Very pleased and would not hesitate to recommend. Definitely not the typical double glazing firm. Will be using again for other requirements. Friendly and helpful at every step.

Thank you for supplying and fitting the windows and doors so promptly. I’m very pleased with the end result. The house is warmer and I appreciate the attention to detail taken by Stacy and Billy. I’m very happy with their work. Many thanks to them. I especially like my new front door. It’s very pretty. Wishing you every success for the future and I’ll definitely recommend you.

Exceptional!! I have just had 18 windows, french doors, a front and a back door fitted. The fitters were first class, always on time, polite, tidy and complete perfectionists. The product is excellent and there was no hard sell. My house has been transformed. I couldn’t be happier and would strongly recommend this company to anyone.