Let's talk about
window and door maintenance. It’s a
dull subject, perhaps, that architects
and builders alike sometimes do not
emphasize; but in reality, maintenance
engineering is a significant cost
saving device when done well. There
is the satisfaction of beautiful
results and environmental sensitivity,
as well as the value retention of the
product and the building in which the
windows and doors are installed.
For example, windows and doors are
always subject to damage over time
from weather, sun light, accidental
and or malicious disregard, as well as
negligence, all resulting in
diminished appearance, performance and
value.
With the onset of
winter, we see varying extremes. And
while our first objective may be to
match original landmark architecture,
Woodstone engineers its products for
ease of maintenance to better preserve
original value, diminish risk, and
protect its windows and doors from
deterioration over the long haul.
With Woodstone’s high resistant wood
species, modern finishes, and
traditional wood joinery,
deterioration under most circumstances
is not only limited, it is easily
maintained and repaired. That’s why
it’s wise, from time to time, to
inspect your windows and doors for
cuts, scratches and scrapes that may
compromise the finish.
One thing leads to another. If a
scrape penetrates the finish,
eventually water penetrates into the
wood, into the wood joinery and,
perhaps, to the edge of the insulating
glass. In the winter, freezing and
thawing can cause movement in the
various sash and door elements, and
when the trapped moisture is heated by
the sun, water vapor is forced deeper
into the wood joinery mortises and
rabbets.
If an individual True Divided pane of
Insulating Glass (IG) seal fails, or
the glass breaks, in a Woodstone
window or door, it can be
easily replaced. Not so, if it’s a
Simulated Divided Lite window or door.
SDL
units that fail in almost any way must
be replaced as a whole, and this can
be a prohibitively expensive venture
when matching original architectural
details.
If the paint finish
is damaged on a Woodstone window or
door, repainting is easily managed
with minimal preparation. Finishes and
sealant can be spot applied without
the need for stripping the entire
window or door. Clad windows, on the
other hand, obscure deterioration over
time. Moisture that finds its way
through the cladding often rots the
wood beneath, creating pervasive
damage before the deterioration is
discovered. And, assuming a
historically accurate clad window is
available in the first place, once a
clad window is damaged, it is very
difficult to maintain and expensive to
replace.
Remember: if a window
or door is presented as being’
maintenance free’, it probably can't
be maintained and it ultimately ends
up in a landfill. Read the warranty.
Compare the risks. As you will see in
the following article, Maintenance
Makes Cents TM.
