Energy efficient windows limited life span?

Hi all...15 years ago I built my home...it is large with many windows. I of course water energy efficient windows...did my research, etc. Went with double pane, low e argon filled windows...now here it is 15 years later and it seems like they have degraded signifigantly...especially the casement type..on a sofa in front a particular pair, I can actually feel the cold from the window on the back of my neck.....others don't close as tightly as they once did, but that's more of a brand issue I'm sure..
Anyone else having similar findings

are they fogging up any? had to have mine replaced they fogged up between panes of glass

No fogging, thankfully...that's a definite sign that the argon gas has escaped..

most of the in- efficiency of windows come from the frame. poor installation leading to air leaks make expensive windows have a long payback. I have used a "blower door" to simulate wind on the windows. many newly installed windows showed massive air leaks around the frame. descent window, proper installation= good results.

Being a homeowner, anything will go bad at anytime without any warning, dont you love it,lol

Search the brand name online for replacement issues. A lot of these windows that have failed are being replaced, just depends on what brand.

my home was built in 96 and is all HURD Al clad wood casement. The 2nd floor of my house which is typically cooler because our MBR is on the 1st floor and we don't go up there all that much, last winter in one of the bedrooms I pryed off a window casing to find minimal batt insulation stuffed between the window and stud frame. There was actually a frost layer on the window frame exterior in the gap, so I melted it, dried it out and put expanding foam in. This helped the frost on the bottom inner portion of the pane but did not eliminate it. The moving portion of he casement has a crappy weather seal on the perimeter, I want to try something like this

http://www.amazon.com/Frost-V23WA-Extre ... B000OZT84K

only I need it to be roughly 5/8" thick overall, and haven't found it yet.

Another Idea I had was to build an interior storm window that goes in the screen track out of this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000L0 ... 00_details

and some lexan, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. My wife got sick of waiting and just shrink wrapped the windows in our MBR and bath which are mostly exterior walls. Since shrink wrap makes such a huge difference I know the windows are wicking heat away like crazy.

QBWEBB...thats amazing..about the frost....I actually Constucted my home myself, and it was 1996 by chance, so I know I did it right..I filled all the gaps between the window and framing with expanding foam back then..
(my first kid was born that year too... funny!..life has never been the same since that year!..lol )

Anyway, NOW I find that when I engage the locks on the double hungs, I can actually push up the upper pane a bit higher..which tells me the frame has lost 'tightness'..prolly a combo of middle of the rd. windows, wood shrinkage, and house settling...one thing I had on my LAST Summer 'To Do' list was to apply either felt of rubber insulation to the top of the upper window, and the bottom of the lower..I fugure this should help 'snug it up'...but I have A LOT of windows!..uggh!
One caution about the expanding foam: be careful not to over do it!..It CAN expand so much that it gets to the piont of applying excess pressure on the window tracks, making them difficult to operate...just use a small bead and you should be ok..

Castle Windows Lifetime warranty for house, transferable at sale.

qbwebb wrote:HURD Al clad wood casement.

Back in the 90's many of the builders I worked for installed Hurd windows. Every exterior window leaked water ,air and rotted.Sorry to say but,they were the worst windows ever. There were many law suits,thank god I was the only sub-contracter that wasn't included.I flashed them properly and had no leaks.
Before spending time and money, look into Hurd windows and see if they will replace them.

My windows are Crestline...I don't believe they are around anymore...bought out I believen...don't know by who...

I think all these eco windows are junk. Mine all have fog between the panes, & most are green around the bottoms from constantly being wet with condensation in winter. My parents spent an OBSCENE amount of money on 25 or so of some name brand eco crap. Day after the install you could feel cold air coming off the inside pane, which was supposed to be insulated with argon. Here we are a few years later & they notice ZERO difference in heat retention ... in addition to many windows having latch problems. 5 figures "well spent" ...

If you got an old house your better off keeping the windows that have outlasted many generations. Trust me on this ... unless replacing windows every 10 years is part of your maintenance schedule.

A good triple track storm window goes a long way even with an average condition single pane window, and is a ton cheaper.

If you have a high style old house. Removing the original windows is one of the worst, most destructive things you can do to it. The fenestration of a building is one of the most important parts of its style and appearance. There are many ways of weatherproofing original windows and thus saving the integrity of the house. But you have to understand what you have first and you have to actually care about what you are doing. I have seen beautiful houses utterly ruined by people who had no idea of what they had or what they did. I have been almost brought to tears after witnessing the destruction brought about by viny siding and modern window salesmen. If you don't appreciate an old house and you want to turn it into a modern adaptation of some half baked idea. Just buy the modern house and spare the historic ones. There are not that many left.

wsherrick wrote:fenestration

I had to look that one up!