Are Your Windows Ruining the Best Part of Summer?

Michigan gives us a very limited window, no pun intended, when the backyard is green, the flowers are blooming, the sky stays light late, and everything outside actually looks alive.

So why are we looking at it through cloudy glass, broken screens, and windows we haven't cleaned since...we don't need to discuss it.

August is the month to enjoy the view.

And it is also a perfect time to give your windows a little attention before they spend the next several months sealed against Michigan weather.

Start with the view

Walk through your house during daylight and look out each window.

Not at the window. Through it.

Are there rooms where trees, gardens or architectural details outside could become part of the interior experience if the glass were clearer or the window configuration were better?

A great window doesn't just bring in light. It frames whatever is outside.

That's why picture windows, bay windows and strategically placed larger windows can make a room feel dramatically different even when nothing else changes.

Give the screens some love

Screens work hard during summer.

By August, they may be dusty, bent, torn or covered in whatever mysterious combination of pollen, insects and outdoor debris Michigan has thrown at them.

Check for holes and loose edges and give screens a gentle cleaning.

If you love opening the windows once those cooler late-summer evenings arrive, you will be very happy you did this before the first perfect 68-degree night.

Look for the annoying little things

You know the window that technically opens, but only if you lift it at exactly the right angle while whispering encouraging words?

That counts as a problem.

So does the window that won't stay open.

Or the lock that doesn't line up properly.

Or the crank you have simply agreed never to touch again.

Windows should not require a family instruction manual.

If multiple windows are becoming difficult to operate, it may be worth exploring newer options from manufacturers such as North Star Windows & Doors or ProVia.

Think about where the sun hits

August also gives you a great opportunity to notice how sunlight moves through your home.

Which rooms become uncomfortably hot in the afternoon?

Where is furniture fading?

Where would you actually like more natural light?

These observations are incredibly useful if you are considering replacing or redesigning windows later.

You don't have to make decisions today. Just pay attention to how the house behaves while summer is still in full swing.

Your windows are part of the experience of your home

They are not just holes in the wall covered with glass.

They affect light, views, ventilation, comfort and how connected your home feels to everything outside it.

So before summer disappears and we all collectively return to staring at gray

Michigan skies, take a minute to appreciate the view.

And if your windows are getting in the way of it, Home & Door can help.

Call or text us now for a free quote:

Call Now: (248) 399-9900

Text Us: (248) 453-6435