Building material manufacturers are always looking for ways to get better materials out at a cheaper price, one such building material is your windows, and sometimes cheap is just that.

Seeing that on a construction project these are about 3 to 10 % of the total cost of the home any savings here is a good thing for the builder.

(different type of spacers)

Not all windows are created equally and the price between them can actually make a difference when it comes to how they are built.

Some of the cheaper windows may have thinner glass using 3/32 glass versus 1/8 glass or low grade steel channels that can rust during failure etc…

Now enter the “Intercept” window spacer system.  Since 1992 this spacer became a very common spacer system for many window manufacturers. The “Intercept” spacer U-channel design was created as a way to create flexibility of the seal which results in a better thermal barrier that reduces the amount of heat loss conducted through the window.

Houston we have a problem. A very common desiccant used with this spacer type is a desiccant caulk. The problem with this form of desiccant is that it is affected by the heat created within the system that causes this desiccant to fail, melting and curling inside the frame. This will be most common on southern facing windows.

Here is a perfect example from a recent home inspection. The desiccant has failed.

Now most of the window manufacturers only warrant these windows to the original owner and most of the time it is a 10 year warranty. Here is a common limitation from the manufacturers- “This Limited Lifetime Warranty is provided to the original Buyer and may not be assigned or transferred.”

The issue with some of these windows is they are failing in less than 10 years. From 2001 to 2008 the average tenure of a home seller was less than this warranty period, with owners selling their homes after owning them for only six years.

“The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.”

Plato

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                               509-670-9572