I have 2 wood casement windows in the front and it appears that the seals have leaked. The windows fog up between the 2 panes of glass in the winter. I can't afford to replace the windows this year, but is there anything I can do in the interim to alleviate this condition? It is quite frustrating because in winter I can't even see outside.
Answer:
In some cases windows have lost their thermal seals. If there are certain gasses in a particular unit and the seal has been gone for some time, streaks may be quite permanent. If, on the other hand, the seal depends on a vacuum, it can often be corrected without having to replace the complete unit. Rather, by removing the window and drilling 3/16” holes along the top down through the frame and metal spacer between the sheets of glass. Now turn the window over and do the same thing along the bottom. The holes are 3 to 4 inches in from the ends. You can then re-install the window and drill the same sized holes in the frame horizontally from the outside to meet the vertical ones. The latter should be sloped slightly upward and all you have to do from there is fill them with non-corroding steel wool. This will permit air to pass but insects won’t get in.
