The continual fluctuation of weather can damage windows. It may be an old line, but knowing "when to hold them and when to fold them" can be the cost-saving, headache-averting strategy when considering whether to repair or restore your windows or to simply break down and buy replacement windows. This is especially true if your home was not originally outfitted with contemporary energy saving and rugged materials. Let's look at some of the determining factors for replacing or restoring home windows.

You may wonder why you never committed yourself to routine maintenance that would have extended the life of your windows. That aside, what's today's status? Windows can age without considerable grace. Wood frames can rot on the outside from weather or from within by termites. Windowpanes break, glazing gets brittle and cracks, and cold (or heat) begins to seep into your home.

Window sills take the worst of wear. Whether they're beaten down by scorching summer heat or pounded by rain through the seasons, sills (or saddles) go brittle and leak. Sliding windows can jam or leap their tracks with age. Over time, casements lose their seating and are clogged with dirt, paint and grease.

Of course, it all depends upon the extent of the damage, your budget and perhaps most importantly, your time and energy. There's only a certain amount of lipstick you can put on a pig. If your window is cracked, there's simply no amount of repair or tweaking you can do to forestall the inevitable complete window replacement.

To install a single replacement window may not be expensive, but to add fourteen of them at once certainly can be. While a window replacement. may increase materials costs in addition to window repair labor rates, you're probably dealing with a licensed, insured professional who can save you time and irritation.

At some point, it's just better to toss out a chronically sick window. Are there parts of a window repair project you can undertake on your own? It's always a good idea to call in an expert. Estimates cost you nothing. If you have simple caulk or sealing failure, or if it's a matter of replacing sills with epoxy wood filler, do you have the expertise to do the work yourself -- or at least are you willing to learn with the help of books or home improvement store advice?