What to know
- Fogged glass is a sealed-unit failure, not a hardware repair.
- Cranks, balances and weatherstripping are replaceable on most vinyl and wood windows.
- If several windows have the same failure, budget replacement instead of repeating service calls.
What can actually be repaired
Crank mechanisms, sash balances, locks, rollers, screens and weatherstripping are all service parts. If the frame and glazing are sound, a $200 repair is a better answer than a $1,400 window.
Sealed-unit replacement sits between repair and replacement: the glass pack is swapped while the frame stays. That only makes sense when the frame still has years left and the glass is the only failure.
When to stop repairing
Once the frame is rotted, the vinyl is cracked, or you are replacing glass and hardware on the same unit, you are paying twice. Canadian winters punish tired weatherstripping; if every window in a wall drafts, a whole-elevation replacement is usually cheaper than a season of service calls.
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