I redid my whole house in American Craftsman windows by Andersen, purchased from Home Depot, over the last 8 years. They are all new construction windows that I put in to replace some really bad wood-framed thermopane windows that the house was built with in 1986.
Anyhow, today it is -15F where I live. I noticed a bit of frost on the inside of the top half of my kitchen windows. Never saw that before. Upon close examination I felt an air leak on both sides of the top half of the double hung set, near the bottom of it. The sides of the window meert the side jamb with some sort of pile insulation strip that isn't terribly thick. The middle of each side jam seemed to not be meeting the window as closely as the top and bottom. Maybe due to settling, thermal contraction, or God forbid, mis-installation by me? Is there a way to address this? Like with thicker pile? Thanks!
John
Felt seal (or better way) for American Craftsman Windows (Andersen)
Quick Learner from Nashua, NH
Feb 24, 2015 8:29 am
6 Replies
Dave Sr. from SWISCO
Feb 25, 2015 1:24 pm
Hey, John, thanks for posting! This isn't so peculiar. It sounds like normal condensation caused by the moisture in the house that frosted over due to the extreme cold we've been experiencing. Especially since this window is in the kitchen! Even just cooking can cause condensation on the window, like in your bathroom after a shower. There is not really anything you can do to fix that.
Some tips to reduce condensation would be to vent your attic and crawl space if you have one. They also say to periodically open a window in the room where the condensation is occurring. I actually have the same problem in my kitchen and bath, and my windows are practically ancient!
Some tips to reduce condensation would be to vent your attic and crawl space if you have one. They also say to periodically open a window in the room where the condensation is occurring. I actually have the same problem in my kitchen and bath, and my windows are practically ancient!
Quick Learner from Nashua, NH
Feb 25, 2015 4:46 pm
Thank you. The question I have is, is there a better way to seal the sides of these windows. They are vinyl, and the only seal appears to be the pile strips. Air seems to be penetrating the pile.
Dave Sr. from SWISCO
Feb 26, 2015 12:54 pm
If you're looking to replace the wool pile, you may want to consider getting a higher pile for the sides. You would need to remove a section of the wool pile and carefully measure it, then take a look at our selection of wool pile and see if anything is a match. The important measurement is the width of the backing. From there, try and pick out a height that would be best for your window.
Quick Learner from Coventry, Ct.
Sep 24, 2023 8:36 pm
My American Craftsman windows are streaked inside the glazing. Where can I get IGU new double paned inserts.
2 user uploaded images
Tom from SWISCO
Sep 26, 2023 2:37 pm
We unfortunately don't sell replacement glass panes, so this isn't a project that we can help with. I suggest contacting a local glass shop for assistance in replacing your glass.