Window and door maintenance: schedule, lifespan and costs
Updated
Overview
Windows and exterior doors are the openings in the wall, and each one is a place for water to get into the structure and heat to get out of the house. The frames, the seals, the weatherstripping and the trim around them are what keep both where they belong, and all of them wear. The maintenance is a yearly draft check before heating season, so the gaps get sealed while they're small, and a yearly look at the exterior trim and caulk, so water doesn't get behind it.
Lifespan
Windows and exterior doors last 20 to 40 years. Vinyl windows sit toward the short end, and wood and fiberglass windows that are kept painted and caulked toward the long end. Exterior doors last as long as their frames stay dry. What shortens the life is water: a failed caulk line lets rain behind the frame, the sill rots, and the window loosens in a wall that's gone soft around it. Sun breaks down vinyl and dries out seals, and a double-pane window whose seal fails fogs between the panes for good.
What extends the life is caulk and paint kept sound outside, weatherstripping replaced as it wears, and hardware kept lubricated so sashes and latches aren't forced. The signs a window is near the end: fogging between the panes, a frame that's warped so the sash won't lock, rot in the sill or the frame, and a draft that no weatherstripping fixes. For a door: a frame that's rotten at the bottom, a slab that's warped, or a threshold that lets water in.
Maintenance schedule
The yearly checks, one from inside and one from outside.
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Check the windows and doors for drafts | once a year, before heating season |
| Inspect the exterior window and door trim | once a year |
Replacement cost
Replacing a window costs $400 to $1,500 per window, installed. The range runs from a basic vinyl replacement window to a wood or fiberglass window, and the price climbs with size, shape and the work needed at the opening. A house's worth of windows is many times that, which is why replacing them is done a few at a time, worst first. An exterior door and frame falls in a similar range, with a prehung steel or fiberglass door at the low end.
The repair-or-replace rule: weatherstripping, a latch, a balance spring in a sash, a sill repair, caulk and paint are repairs, and most are cheap. A double-pane window that's fogged between the panes can have the glass unit replaced in a sound frame. A window with a rotten frame, a warped sash or a failed seal in a frame that's also failing, past the middle of its lifespan, is a replacement.
Common problems
- Cold spots and drafts around a window or door: worn weatherstripping or a gap at the frame. Check the windows and doors for drafts and seal what you find.
- Cracked or peeling caulk and paint outside: water is getting behind the trim. Inspect the exterior window and door trim and recaulk.
- Fog or moisture between the panes: the insulated glass unit's seal has failed. The glass can be replaced without the frame.
- A sash that won't stay up, or is hard to slide: a broken balance spring or dry tracks. Both are repairs.
- A door that sticks or won't latch: the house has shifted, the hinges are loose, or the strike plate needs moving. Tighten the hinges first.
- Soft wood at the bottom of a window frame or a door jamb: rot from water that's been getting in. Find the leak, then replace the rotten wood.
FAQ
How long do windows last?
About 20 to 40 years. Vinyl is at the short end and well-kept wood or fiberglass at the long end. Caulk, paint and weatherstripping are what get them there.
How much does it cost to replace windows?
$400 to $1,500 per window, installed, depending on the material, the size and the work at the opening.
Can a fogged window be fixed without replacing it?
Yes, if the frame is sound. The sealed glass unit is replaced on its own, for much less than a new window.
How do you stop drafts around windows?
New weatherstripping on the sash, caulk where the frame meets the wall, and a door sweep on exterior doors. An incense stick on a windy day shows where the air gets in.
Should I replace all my windows at once?
Not unless they're all failing. Replace the worst first, a few at a time, and keep the sound ones caulked and painted.