Great advice on the cleaners—I learned that lesson the hard way years ago. When we first got Andersen windows installed, my wife grabbed a bottle of Windex without thinking... cloudy streaks everywhere. Took forever to get them looking decent again. Now it's just mild soap and water for us. And you're spot-on about checking seals regularly; caught a tiny gap last spring that could've turned into a real headache down the road. Little things like that really do save you money (and sanity) long-term.
Good points, especially about the cleaners. Learned that myself after a similar mishap—though mine was with some generic glass cleaner, not Windex. Took ages to clear up those streaks.
Couple quick questions for you or anyone else who's had Andersen windows for a while:
- How often do you typically check your seals? Once a year enough, or should I be doing it more frequently?
- Ever had issues with condensation between panes? Heard mixed things about that and wondering if it's common or just bad luck.
Trying to stay ahead of any potential headaches...
- Once a year seems fine, honestly. I usually just glance over my seals casually whenever I clean the windows—maybe twice a year tops.
- Condensation between panes hasn't been an issue yet, fingers crossed. Heard mixed reviews too, but I'm skeptical it's widespread. Might just be the occasional dud?
Curious though, anyone notice if certain window placements (sunny side vs shaded) have more seal issues over time?
- Had my windows about 8 years now, and honestly haven't noticed much difference sunny vs shaded side.
- But funny enough, the one window that fogged up was on the north side—barely gets any sun. Go figure.
- I just chalked it up to bad luck or a Friday afternoon install job... who knows. Either way, warranty covered it, so no biggie.
"But funny enough, the one window that fogged up was on the north side—barely gets any sun. Go figure."
That's interesting... I've noticed something similar at my place. North-facing windows seem more prone to condensation issues, probably because they stay cooler and don't get enough sunlight to evaporate moisture buildup. Warranty coverage is great, but it might be worth checking your indoor humidity levels too—sometimes tweaking ventilation or using a dehumidifier can help prevent future fogging. Just my two cents from years of trial and error!
Interesting points about humidity and ventilation, but honestly, I think sometimes it just comes down to the window itself. At my old place, we had a similar issue—north-facing window always fogged up no matter what we did. We tried everything: dehumidifiers, fans, even adjusting the thermostat constantly. Nothing really solved it completely.
Eventually, we had someone come out and take a look, and turns out the seal on that particular window was faulty from the start. It wasn't obvious at first because it looked fine visually, but apparently even tiny imperfections in the seal can cause moisture buildup inside the panes. Once they replaced that window under warranty (thank goodness for warranties), the problem disappeared overnight.
Not saying humidity control isn't important—it definitely helps—but if you're consistently seeing condensation on just one specific window, especially a newer one like Renewal by Andersen, I'd lean toward suspecting a manufacturing or installation issue first. Might be worth having them double-check that particular unit before you spend too much time tweaking your indoor environment.
Just my experience though... every house seems to have its own quirks!
- Totally agree about checking the window itself first—had a similar issue with Andersen windows at my sister's place.
- Turns out, even a tiny misalignment during installation can cause weird condensation issues.
- Worth getting them to double-check before messing around too much with humidity levels...
Hadn't even considered installation alignment could cause condensation, that's interesting... I'm new to all this home maintenance stuff, so it's a bit overwhelming. How would you even check alignment yourself—just eyeball it, or is there some trick to it? Anyway, glad you pointed this out before I started messing with the humidity settings. Feels like there's always something new to learn with homeownership, haha.
"How would you even check alignment yourself—just eyeball it, or is there some trick to it?"
While eyeballing can give you a rough idea, it's usually not precise enough for diagnosing alignment issues that might lead to condensation. I'd recommend using a good-quality level—preferably a longer one (around 4 feet) for accuracy—to check both horizontally and vertically around the window frame. But honestly, minor misalignment typically affects operation more than causing condensation. Usually, condensation points toward humidity or insulation issues rather than alignment alone... just something to consider before diving too deep into adjustments.
Gotta disagree slightly here... alignment can definitely contribute to condensation if gaps form and let colder air seep in. I'd suggest checking for drafts around the edges with a candle flame or incense stick—sometimes that's more telling than a level.