RECALL NOTICE: Your Bay Windows Are Staring at the Neighbors

The manufacturer is recalling every bay window installed before 1998, following dozens of reports that they "kept staring into the neighbors' yard." Affected windows are advised to stop making eye contact immediately. If your window has been watching the neighbor's dog poop for six consecutive months, it is subject to this recall.

Okay, no — nobody is recalling your windows. But here's what windows actually do when they're past their prime: they don't send you a letter. They send signals, and the most misunderstood one is fog trapped BETWEEN the panes.

If there's haze, condensation, or a milky film you cannot wipe off — because it's sealed inside the double-pane sandwich — the insulated glass unit's seal has failed. The inert gas that was doing the insulating (usually argon or krypton) has escaped, and ordinary air — carrying moisture — has taken its place. That window is now effectively single-pane. It will condense, it will bleed heat all winter, and no amount of cleaning will change it.

This is the part people get wrong: a foggy-between-the-panes window is not a "clean it" problem. It's a "replace it" problem. The fix is a new insulated glass unit — or, if the frames are as old as the glass, a full replacement window. Either way, it typically pays for itself in heating bills and stopped drafts within a few seasons.

While you're at it, give every window the once-over before winter: run a hand around the edges on a breezy day (the back of your hand catches drafts your palm misses), look for dried or cracked exterior caulk, and check that locks actually pull the sashes tight. Ten dollars in caulk and five minutes of attention now beats a frozen heating bill later.

Your house's exterior works as one envelope — roofing, siding, windows, and gutters either protect it together or fail together.

Know someone who needs roofing, siding, windows, or gutters? $500 cash when they sign.

Start with our free 8-point inspection — call or text 816-337-7037, or visit Roof4kc.com.