Not too long ago we were humming “April, come she May”, welcoming spring in all her glory. Verdant fields, flowers in full bloom and even the daily downpours – a relief from the bone-chilling cold – were received with warmth by many amongst us.
Before we know it, July, and with it, the torrid days of summer are upon us. Hoarding sunscreen and juice packs in dozens? Don’t forget to prepare our windows to withstand the direct impact of the sun’s harmful rays, as well.
But, just how do we do that? If the question has been floating around in your head, we’re here to put you at ease. Our summer window maintenance tips are right from the horse’s mouth.
Our customers often tell us how well we’ve done their Toronto window replacement and we asked them for some ideas!
Throw your windows open and let us walk you through some widely-used hacks that include:
1. Paint It Perfect
A fresh coat of paint is a great way to dress your windows for warm weather. After all, summer is when everyone steps outside, making it the best time for you to show off your neatly-
painted windows.
Aside from aesthetic sensibility, painting windows once when summer sets in and once after is probably a good idea. As we all know, the direct rays of the sun can cause the paint to fade.
And, with the extended hours of sunlight in Canada, this is a cause for concern.
So, what type of paint can you choose for your window? You could go with acrylic; a popular choice for painting on glass. For the frames themselves, experts recommend a combination of primers and exterior paints such as pre-toned acrylic and alkyd.
Before you paint windows, remember to scrape off loose paint and pat some putty on. For more elaborate instructions, watch out for our upcoming blog on step-by-step window painting.
“Keep in mind that you should avoid painting windows (or any exterior painting jobs) in conditions of extreme heat (over 95 degrees Fahrenheit) and in direct sunlight.”
A combination of these conditions could lead to the paint drying faster than is ideal, leaving a poor finish on the window.
Also Read: How Often Do You Need To Replace Windows?
2. Watch Out, Wood
Rain and shine are a part and parcel of Canadian summers and, most often, wood has to bear the brunt of the duo.
Humidity can cause condensation to appear on the glass and the moisture directly affects the wooden frames of windows. This is especially true if your windows have not been fitted with advanced glass panels, an option we offer firsthand when we are called for window replacement, Toronto.
In order to help your wooden window frames combat sunlight better, apply a coat of varnish that also acts as a water sealer.
In contrast, this could be a consequence of using a humidifier indoors. It would be callous of us to suggest that you don’t use a humidifier. Instead, simply adjust where it is placed and make sure that it does not face the windows.
3. Caulk It
Caulking is an instrumental step in weatherproofing your windows. Be it cool air that leaks out or hot air that infiltrates your home, air leakage is a big problem.
Especially in the summers, applying caulk along the window trim is an essential measure that helps seal gaps and air, indoors. Before applying caulk, one has to make sure to remove any existing caulk, just as with painting. Secondly, you should be careful to choose the right kind of caulk. There is exterior caulk available for external application and interior caulk available for the insides of windows.
If you are planning to paint the windows after, you might want to make sure that the caulk is paintable, too!
Also Read: How Energy Efficient Windows Help During Summers!
4. Braving The Storm
We’d like to think a summer storm is unlikely in Toronto, but the last few weeks of June have shown us otherwise. There are other areas in Ontario that could also be at risk for storms.
This is such a serious threat to windows that Natural Resources Canada has a detailed section on how to protect windows from being ravaged by storms.
Installing seasonal external storm protection systems is an option. The system is composed of an exterior acrylic sheet that functions as glazing or even glass along with metal or wooden frames.
“When installing exterior storm protection systems one must throw caution to the winds (pun, intended) and use tight sealants.”
This is because these are makeshift systems that could get rattled easily. They also take up quite an amount of storage space.
Attached, internally, to a window frame, interior storm protection systems could use either double-sided tape or heat-shrink film and clear acrylic sheets that come with magnetic seals.
In order to make a smarter decision about the storm protection system suited for your windows and have it professionally installed, reach out to Eco Choice, the best windows replacement company in Toronto. With several windows successfully replaced in Toronto, we will offer complete guidance and support to weather-proof your windows for the summer!
