Winter is upon us, and if you live in cold-climate regions like our customers in Toronto, Ontario, chances are you’re looking for creative ways to shorten the snowy season and bring on the sunshine. While we still haven’t figured out how to make spring come any sooner, we do know you can brighten up your home, reduce your energy bills, and extend the life of your windows and screens by removing your window screens this winter.
Lower Your Energy Bills
Window screens may not completely block out sunlight, but they do impede it. Believe it or not, windows without screens allow as much as 30 percent more light and heat to enter your home. Let’s put that number to work.
Natural gas prices are rising across North America. In fact, they jumped five percent for Toronto area homeowners in the York Region (Thornhill, Markham, Richmond Hill, and Vaughn) in the final quarter of 2022.
And it doesn’t look any better in the States where the average cost to heat a home with gas last winter was $724. Out of all 50 states, Oklahomans, Alaskans, and Georgians shelled out the most money every month, spending nearly $300 to heat their homes in 2022.
That’s a long way of saying you could reduce that monthly energy bill by nearly $100 every month—just by removing your window screens.
Extend Window, Frame, and Screen Life
Outside window screens keep out bugs and critters in the warmer months. Unfortunately, they also trap snow, which can accumulate on the window's outer frame, causing build-up.
While newer windows are built with pours to drain liquid, they can quickly become clogged with pollen and dirt—especially if you neglected your fall window cleaning duties or didn’t use the right tools for the job. When water freezes inside your clogged pours, the liquid expands, causing damage to screen channels, frames, and even sills.
Simply put, you can extend the life of your windows, screens, and sills just by removing your screens.
Better Views and Increased Curb Appeal
If you’ve ever tried cleaning your window screens while they are attached to the window, you’re probably disappointed with the results—not to mention the view from the curb and inside your home.
Window screens trap dirt, pollen, bugs, and, worst of all, mold. That build-up not only impedes light but also reduces curb appeal. The real estate market is finicky, but a recent study suggests that curb appeal can add anywhere from seven to fourteen percent to your sale price.
Not looking to sell? No problem. You’ll still reduce your energy bills, achieve clearer views from your favorite window perch, simplify the screen cleaning process, and get a jump-start on your spring cleaning routine—just by removing your window screens.
Men In Kilts to the Rescue
We know windows, frames, and screens because we work with them daily. Trust us. We'll leave you with a clear view in half the time—without breaking the bank. Contact us today, and we will provide you with a free estimate to have your windows professionally cleaned by Men In Kilts.
