DIY guideWindows

Check the window seals and glazing

Look for fog between the panes, cracked or missing seals and drafts round each window, and photograph the ones that need a window pro.

7 steps

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On a clear day, look through each window at an angle. Fog, haze or drops between the panes means its seal has failed.
Fog you can wipe off is on the surface. Fog that stays after wiping both sides is inside the glass.
Look where the glass meets the frame, inside and out, for rubber or putty that's cracked, shrunk or missing.
On a cold or windy day, hold a tissue near the frame and where the window closes. It flutters in a draft.
Close and lock the window. The lock should pull it snug; a gap you can see is worth noting.
Take a photo of each problem window, close and wide, so a pro can see which ones and how bad.
Fog inside the glass, a cracked pane or seal, or rotten wood round the frame: ask Handyman for a window pro. A fogged pane usually needs its glass unit replaced.

Handyman says: Fogged glass? I'll find a window pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.