Regardless of how well a window is manufactured, it’s important to remember that cleaning the window on a regular basis is equally important to maintaining the integrity of the window itself. Not cleaning your windows at least twice a year can lead to accumulated dirt and dust, affects heat efficiency and eventually causes glass degradation. And if your windows aren’t operating at 100 percent, you risk higher energy costs overall, allergens flowing and of course, dirty windows make for an unpleasant view when you look out on a beautiful day.
The Obvious Reasons
OK, so there are obvious reasons why someone should, and does, clean their windows. Many people take for granted how much clean windows really affect the mood and ambiance of a home. During the wintery and darker months, you really want to allow maximum light to shine in. But it’s equally important during the spring and summer months to allow for that much-needed sunshine to brighten up your inner space. When gearing up for beautiful spring and summer months with longer daylight, clean windows allow for more sunlight to enter the rooms of your home, creating a brighter, lighter and more inviting environment.
The Science Of Glass Windows
Much like your skin, glass is a porous material. The pores on glass aren’t visible (unless you look through a microscope) but they are, nonetheless, porous and susceptible to becoming permeated with a variety of contaminants. By understanding this fact, you’ll see that things like hard minerals (from sprinkler systems and run-off from the surface above the windows), oxidization, acid rain, sea spray and other elements can and will affect the quality of your windows.
Rain, Rain Go Away
BC’s lower mainland is known for its rainy winter season, from November through March or April. Think about this: before hitting your windows, rainwater falls over other exterior surfaces of your home (such as painted siding, roof shingles, concrete sealant, wood stain, etc.). By the time it gets to your windows, deposits minerals and acids from these surfaces fall on the glass. The pores of your windows absorb the rain water and these other deposits which, over time, degrade and damage the glass if it’s not properly maintained on a regular basis.
Energy Efficiency And Window Cleaning
A little known fact about windows is that they are designed to provide what is called in the industry as an “R-Value” which indicates the glass’ resistance to loss and gain of heat. This has an overall effect on your home’s energy efficiency. Here’s a different perspective: if you’re paying for your utility bills, you want to ensure that you’re not losing energy through your windows. Accumulating elements in the pores of your window glass can and will, eventually, compromise the R-Value of even the most expensive and most energy efficient windows. Conversely, cleaning your windows on a regular basis can improve the resistance to heat gain and/or loss, thereby allowing the glass to better regulate the effects of the exterior temperature.
