Plenty of homeowners did their windows first. A few years later, the siding is due. Now there’s a new question: what happens to those newer windows when the old cladding comes off?
The answer depends on how they went in, and on what’s been going on behind them since.
How most window-only jobs are done
A lot of window-only jobs are retrofits. The installer fits the new unit into or over the old frame, trims the siding back, and caulks the gap. Nothing behind the siding gets touched, including the old flange and the building paper.
That’s a fair way to change windows when the walls are fine. But it means the opening itself was never rebuilt. Whatever was happening behind the siding before is still there.
What a re-side reveals
When the cladding comes off, each opening is exposed for the first time in years. That’s the moment to look at three things:
- Is the wood under each sill solid, or is it soft and stained?
- How will the new wall membrane tie into the edges of each window so water runs out, not in?
- With new siding sitting out on rainscreen strapping, will it still meet the window cleanly, or will the trim need to change?
Keep, re-flash or replace?
Newer windows in good shape don’t always have to go. It comes down to what’s behind them. A solid opening with a sound window may only need its edges tied properly into the new wall. A soft sill or a window that’s been leaking into the framing is a different story, because a new membrane can’t fix rot underneath it.
Ask how each window will be handled before you sign a quote, and get the answer written into the scope. Mi Casa Exteriors in Surrey checks every window opening during its free inspection and says which ones are worth replacing now. It only does window installation with new siding, never window-only jobs, because that’s when an opening can be repaired and flashed properly.
Wet glass doesn’t always mean a bad window
Before you write off a newer window, check where the water is. Fog between the panes means the seal on the glass unit has failed. Drips on the room side on cold mornings are usually condensation, which is indoor moisture meeting cold glass.
The province’s CleanBC Better Homes program points to two fixes for condensation: lower the humidity inside, and keep the glass and frames warmer. Kitchen and bathroom fans or a dehumidifier help with the first, so the window itself may be fine.
Stains on the outside below the sill are the sign to take seriously. They point to water getting into the wall around the window.
Decide before tear-off day
The worst time to decide about your windows is the morning the siding comes off. Walk the house with your contractor first, talk through every opening, and agree on what happens to each window before any work starts. A short list with one line per window saves a lot of guesswork once the crew is on site and the walls are open.