With the first snow comes a heightened awareness of all we need to do in order to keep our property protected. There are plenty of articles out there about whether or not snow can scratch the windows of your car – but what about the windows of your home? Should you be concerned about this too? Or, since houses are stationary while cars need to drive through snowstorms, is worrying about whether or not snow can scratch the windows of your home a nonissue?

Here is what you need to know about snow and your windows so that you can know what to focus your efforts on and what worries are just energy wasted. Let’s get into it!

Can Snow Scratch Your Home’s Windows?

The danger to auto glass and scratching during the winter season comes more from improper removal of snow and ice buildup, rather than the snow itself. Use the wrong tools or use the correct tools in the wrong way, and you can end up with scratched windows.

It’s similar for the windows of your home. Snow in and of itself won’t scratch your windows. But how you remove any snow stuck to the glass panes and your window frames can. As such, it’s important to be careful when you clean your windows in order to ensure that your preserve the glass’s integrity so that they can stay in good condition for as long as possible.

Is It Normal To Have Ice Buildup On Windows?

On your car, it’s quite normal for there to be ice. You leave it parked outside during the workday and whenever you go out and about your business. For your home though? While snow building up on the window frames can be normal, ice is another story.

If you have ice buildup on the windows of your home, this is cause for concern. Ice buildup exposes your windows to moisture, which can lead to damage. You will want to do what you can in order to prevent ice buildup.

What About On The Exterior Of Your Windows?

This can be normal, due to differences in temperature. If you just have a little bit of ice on the exterior of your windows, it should just melt when the temperature rises. You will have the moisture from the melted ice to worry about, but this is just part of living in an area that gets snow.

What About On The Interior Of Your Windows?

This is not normal. You can try to clean the ice away, being careful not to scratch your residential windows by not using metal tools and by not being overly aggressive with your efforts. Ice on the inside of your windows can result from humidity and poor ventilation, so you will want to uncover the cause of why this occurred in order to stop it.

What About On Your Window Frame?

If you have drafty windows, this can lead to ice buildup on your window frame. You will want to have the draft fixed in order to both save yourself money on your energy bills and to prevent ice buildup.

What About Inside Your Window Panes?

Some condensation is normal, but ice inside your window panes is not. This can indicate problems with the seal and usually means that you need to have your windows replaced.

If you have ice on your windows, it can be tempting to clean it away. If you do so, be careful to do it properly, otherwise you could end up scratching your residential windows.

This doesn’t just apply to when removing ice buildup, but when you clean your windows in general. It can unfortunately be quite easy to scratch residential windows. This can result in permanent damage that necessitates replacement. It’s not the snow that you need to worry about scratching your windows, it’s how you clean them.

How To Prevent Snow From Damaging Your Windows

The key to preventing ice buildup and snow damage is to properly winterize your windows and to have any necessary repairs or replacements taken care. We talked about how you can winterize your windows more in-depth in our previous blog: 11 Useful Ways To Winterize Your Windows.

If you are unsure of how to keep from scratching your windows or whether or not your windows are due for repairs or replacement, we here at Moyes Glass are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you keep your windows in good condition all window long.

With Halloween just around the corner, the holidays are in full-swing. It’s very fun and festive to decorate your windows and the rest of your home for Halloween, for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, and more. However, you don’t want to damage your windows in the process. Spooky as storebought spiderwebs and decals may be, you don’t want your attempts at decorating to turn into lasting frights with damage to your window frames.

Here is what you need to know about how to decorate your windows for the holidays without damaging them so that you can bring the cheer without impacting the functionality of your home.

What To Avoid When Decorating Your Windows

Before we get into the ways you can safely decorate your windows, we should tell you what you should avoid in order to prevent lasting damage. These are good rules of thumb to utilize not only during the holidays, but all year round, if you’re someone who likes some extra life and personality around your window frames.

#1. Steer Clear Of Tape

Tape may seen like a quick, easy, and cheap solution to hanging up your window decorations. However, you don’t want to use this around your windows. Duct tape may seem like the solution to many a household problem, but it could cause some serious problems for your windows. Tapes use adhesives that leave behind extremely difficult to remove residue – especially if you stick them to your glass.

Said adhesives impact the glass’s clarity. Trying to remove them can result in you inadvertently scratching your glass and damaging it. You don’t want to use tape when hanging up decorations on or around your windows.

#2. Don’t Use Nails

Not unless you want your decorations to be a permanent fixture, anyway. It’s best to steer clear of nailing your decorations around your windows too, as this creates holes around your window frame. This impacts your windows’ performance, and can lead to further damage over time. Anything that puts a hole in your window frame is something that can lead to expensive damage and repairs. It’s best to avoid such methods.

How To Decorate Your Windows Without Damaging Them

decorate your windows decorating your windows without damaging

Stay away from the above methods of putting up your decorations! In all seriousness, though, there are some really useful ways you can hang up decorations on and around your windows that won’t lead to damage. Some of them are as follows below.

#1. Utilize Suction Cups

These are a fantastic alternative to nails or tape, and typically won’t damage your windows if used correctly. For optimal results, you’ll want to clean the windows prior to sticking the suction cups to them, as this allows for better adhesion. Suction cups are also reusable, so when the holidays are over and it’s time to put your decorations back into storage, you can simply clean them off and put them in storage too.

#2. Try Stick-On Adhesives

Wait, but we just told you to stay away from tape, which is an adhesive, so why would we tell you that adhesive stick-on decorations would be okay? This is because the type of window decorations that stick directly onto your glass are typically designed to be able to be peeled off, without needing to worry about them leaving residue behind.

In fact, that’s something people sometimes complain about with them – the fact that they can peel off so easily if the surface is not properly prepped or if the decoration itself is cheaply made.

Stick-on decorations are great too, because they’re so easy to switch out. When Halloween is over, you can peel away your black cat silhouette or skeleton or what have you in favor of snowflakes and candy canes and the like. These are a great, easy way to decorate your windows without damaging them.

#3. Put Together A Windowsill Display

You don’t have to put stuff on the glass itself to get into the spirit of the holidays. You can also put together a windowsill display. These are super festive and won’t damage your windows. You do want to ensure that you dust your decorations and keep them clean to prevent the damage that dirt buildup can cause. However, these look great and are fun to put together, making them a great way to decorate your home.

#4. Try A Windowbox

For an outdoors alternative to a windowsill display, you can use window boxes. Many people grow flowers and other such plants in their window boxes. You can also use them as a means to bring the festivities to your home, such as with cut foliage.

There are many ways to decorate your windows without damaging them. The key is to stay away from nails and tape and to utilize common sense. If it seems like it could damage your windows, it’s probably better to stay away from it. However, it can be difficult to know what will and will not damage your windows sometimes. If you’re ever in such a pickle, a professional window technician can answer your questions.

Moyes Glass provides high quality window services throughout Northern Utah. If you need new windows, window replacement, broken glass repair, or if you have any window-related questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Are you looking to welcome more natural light into your home? Does your home feel too dark? Is harsh unnatural lighting disrupting the comfort of your home? Many homeowners are looking for additional ways to connect with outside light even when they are surrounded by 4 walls.

Importance of Incorporating Natural Light In Your Home

While both natural and artificial lighting is important in a home, it is especially important to absorb natural light. Humans benefit greatly from natural lighting in the home.

Benefits of Natural Lighting

Increased Productiveness: Absorbing natural light can ease your mind, clear your consciousness, and help you focus.
Vitamin D: The sun’s UV rays help your body take in essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, and create necessary nutrients. Exposure to sunlight also improves your immune system.
Mental Health: Exposure to sunlight has been known to increase the brain’s serotonin release. This can improve your mood and create a comfortable sanctuary.
Reduces Eye Strain: Natural sunlight reduces the amount of eye strain, easing the ability to see.

Timeless Ways To Welcome Natural Light

Bringing the sunshine into the comfort of your home is easier than most homeowners expect. Here is a list of popular natural light solutions to create a timeless and trendy home.

Moving Glass Walls

Moving glass walls are a great way to welcome natural light. Moving glass walls are a functional and elegant way to enhance your home. We recommend moving glass walls for homeowners that want to enjoy the open-door style of a home. This solution is customizable to the needed dimensions and is offered in over 200 colors and style options. We recommend using moving glass walls for outdoor views. Porches and decks tend to be the most popular locations for moving glass walls. Movable glass walls are challenging to add to some home designs based on architectural specifications.

This natural light solution does more than welcome the sun’s UV rays. Moving glass doors do a great job with air filtration, and water penetration, and perform well against snow and cold air. Movable glass walls give you the best of both worlds, a place to enjoy the outdoors and scenery without actually needing to be out in the hot Utah heat or freezing Utah cold in the winter. Learn more about Moving Glass Walls.

Sliding Doors

2021 calls for sliding doors trend. Let the outside essence pour into your home with sliding doors. This innovative natural lighting solution blends the inside and outside. Moving Glass Wall Systems operate smoothly and effortlessly. While the design options for sliding glass doors can be endless, the materials used vary based on the energy-efficiency levels you are seeking. Typically fiberglass, vinyl, aluminum, steel, and wood are the most common offerings for door materials. Learn more about Sliding Glass Doors.

Large Windows

The bigger the window, the better views, and lighting. If you have considered movable glass walls but do not need the ability to move, a large floor-to-ceiling window is a great option. Floor-to-ceiling windows make a picture-perfect view of the outside. This is an outstanding and stunning architectural focal point of your home. Make a statement with a large window. Learn more about the installation and options of windows.

Skylight

Are you in search of a greener, eco-friendly way to enhance your home’s natural lighting? A skylight is a great solution for reducing darkness in your home. Skylights are fairly easy to add into your home if you have an asphalt-shingles roof. They can be added into spaces that have no side windows. There are several options for skylights. In addition to the lighting improvement, skylights provide solar heating, minimize energy expenses, add an aesthetically pleasing element of design, and make the space feel open.

Clerestory Windows

Are you looking for a subtle, private, and unique natural light solution? Clerestory Windows are simply roof-lined windows installed at the top of a structure’s wall. They run along the roofline of the structure. This non-traditional lighting solution can be found in residential and commercial buildings. Clerestory windows are becoming more popular among residential properties. The sunlight is allowed to pour into the space without overwhelming the rest of the space. These are great for kitchens, libraries, offices, and specialty rooms. They provide excellent ventilation throughout the room. Since the windows are located along the top of the wall, they efficiently pull in light breezes and UV rays without compromising the home’s privacy. This is a classy, subtle design to make your space feel sophisticated.

Upgrade Your Home

With the many benefits of introducing natural light to your space, there is no better time than now to make this improvement. Your residents will benefit greatly from the addition of natural light to your space. Improve your and your family’s health, production, and mood today. Achieving your natural light goals can be made easier by contacting the window Moyes Glass experts today. We want to add beauty and sophistication to your home, without all the extra costs you have come to expect from many retailers. To learn more about our window services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Moyes Glass today.

Can Snow Scratch Your Residential Windows?