When to Replace Windows | 10 Signs & Lifespan Guide | SilverLine Exteriors

Most of the windows we pull out of Vancouver homes are 1970s and 80s aluminum sliders. Single pane, cold to the touch from October through March, with frames that sweat every winter morning. The homeowner has usually lived with them a decade longer than they needed to. Not because replacement is complicated, but because nobody ever told them when “old” becomes “due.”

Here is the short version: windows in Metro Vancouver last 20 to 25 years on average. If yours are older than that, or showing any of the 10 signs below, it is time to start planning. Some of these signs mean a simple repair will do. Others mean the window is done, and waiting just costs you money in heat.

We have been replacing windows across the Lower Mainland since 2007, and we manufacture our own vinyl windows in Port Coquitlam. That means we see both ends of the problem: the failed windows coming out of houses, and the reasons they failed. This guide covers what to look for, how long each frame type lasts, and when repair beats replacement.

The Quick Answer: When Should Windows Be Replaced?

Replace your windows when the sealed glass unit fails (fog or condensation between the panes), when frames are rotting or warped, or when the windows are single-pane units in a climate that calls for double glazing. Age matters too. Past the 20 to 25 year mark, even windows that look fine have usually lost much of their insulating performance as seals age and gas fill escapes.

One or two of the milder signs, like a sticky sash or a small draft, can often be fixed for far less than replacement. Several signs at once on a 20-year-old window is a different story. That window is telling you something.

10 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Windows

1. Condensation between the glass panes

Fog or moisture trapped between the two layers of glass means the sealed unit has failed. The argon gas that did the insulating escaped long ago, and moist air took its place. This one is not repairable with a cloth or a dehumidifier because the moisture is inside the sealed unit. The glass unit needs replacement, and if the window is old, the whole window usually should go with it.

2. Drafts you can feel

Hold the back of your hand near the frame edges on a windy day. If you feel moving air, the weatherstripping has flattened out or the frame has shifted in the opening. Weatherstripping is a cheap fix. A frame that has pulled away from the wall is not, and in our experience a draft you can feel from across the room is rarely just a stripping problem.

3. Heating bills that keep climbing

Windows are the weakest thermal point in most walls. A single-pane window loses heat several times faster than an insulated double-pane unit. If your winter bills have crept up year over year without a rate change to explain it, aged windows are one of the first places to look. BC Hydro’s own guidance points at windows and doors as a major source of home heat loss, which is why energy-efficient replacements qualify for rebate programs.

4. Windows that fight you

A sash that needs two hands and a shoulder to open has a problem. Vinyl and wood frames swell and settle over the years, and hardware wears out. Beyond the annoyance, a bedroom window that will not open is a safety issue. It may be your fire exit.

5. Single-pane aluminum frames

If your home was built between the 1960s and mid 1980s and still has its original windows, they are almost certainly single-pane aluminum. We replace more of these than anything else. Aluminum conducts heat straight through the frame, so the metal itself gets cold, sweats, and drips onto the sill. There is no upgrade path for these units. Replacement is the fix.

6. Water stains, soft spots, or rot around the frame

Brown staining on the drywall below a window, bubbling paint on the sill, or wood trim that gives under your thumb all point to water getting past the window. In Metro Vancouver’s climate this moves fast. What starts as a slow leak at a corner joint becomes rot inside the wall cavity. Catch it early and a full-frame replacement solves it. Catch it late and you are paying for wall repairs too.

7. Outside noise coming through

Windows do a lot of your home’s soundproofing. If traffic on the street sounds closer than it used to, the seals have degraded or the glazing was never up to the job. Modern double-pane units with proper seals cut noticeably more sound than the single-pane units from the 70s and 80s.

8. Rooms that never warm up

A room that stays cold no matter what the thermostat says usually has a window problem. Stand next to the glass in January. If you feel cold radiating off it, the window is pulling heat out of the room and out of you. North-facing rooms show this first.

9. Warped, cracked, or chalky frames

Vinyl that has gone chalky and brittle, wood that is cracking through the paint, or frames visibly out of square are past cosmetic repair. Once the frame itself deteriorates, it stops holding the glass unit square and stops sealing against the wall. Everything else fails from there.

10. Fading floors and furniture

Older glass has no low-emissivity coating, so UV pours through and bleaches hardwood floors and furniture. Modern Low-E glass blocks most of that UV while letting the light in. If you are rearranging furniture to hide sun-bleached patches, the glass is two generations out of date.

How Long Do Windows Last?

Lifespan depends mostly on the frame material and the quality of the original installation. These are the working numbers we use with Vancouver homeowners:

Note the last row. Even a good frame outlives its glass. The sealed unit inside a quality vinyl window will typically fail before the vinyl does, which is why a 22-year-old window with fogged glass is normal, not a defect.

Vancouver’s climate shortens some of these numbers. Our winters are wet more than cold, and constant moisture works on seals and caulking harder than dry prairie cold does. A wood-frame window that lasts 30 years in Kelowna may need attention at 18 here.

Repair or Replace? How to Decide

Not every problem on the list above means new windows. Here is how we tell homeowners to think about it.

Repair makes sense when the frame is sound and the problem is isolated: worn weatherstripping, a broken latch or crank, a single fogged sealed unit on an otherwise healthy window under 15 years old. A sealed unit swap costs a fraction of a full window and keeps a good frame in service.

Replacement makes sense when the frame itself has failed, when the windows are single-pane, or when multiple units are showing their age at once. Replacing sealed units one at a time across a 25-year-old house is throwing good money after bad, because the next failure is always coming. It also costs more per unit than doing the house in one visit.

There is a middle case worth knowing about: if your frames are solid but the windows are old, a retrofit installation replaces the window inside the existing frame opening without disturbing siding or interior trim. It is 20 to 30 percent cheaper than full-frame replacement. We covered the details in our guide to retrofit windows.

The Best Time of Year to Replace Windows in Vancouver

Homeowners assume window replacement is a summer job. It is not, at least not here. Our crews install year round, and a standard window swap leaves each opening exposed for minutes, not hours. Vancouver winters are mild enough that an installation in February works fine.

The practical differences: spring and summer are the busy season, so lead times stretch. Fall and winter often mean faster scheduling. And there is a case for replacing before the heating season rather than after it, since every month a failed window stays in the wall is a month of heat you paid for going through the glass.

If you want the work done before winter, get quotes in late summer. If you do not mind an install crew in the rain (they do not mind, they are from here), winter scheduling is usually the fastest path.

What Window Replacement Costs in 2026

Ballpark numbers for Metro Vancouver: a double-glazed vinyl window runs $800 to $1,000 installed, and a triple-glazed window runs $1,000 to $1,400. Larger units, custom sizes, colour frames, and full-frame installations push the number up. A whole-home replacement on a typical two-storey lands between $12,000 and $22,000.

Because we manufacture our own windows in Port Coquitlam, there is no distributor margin between the factory and your house. On a whole-home job that difference is measured in thousands.

For a full breakdown by window type, including retrofit versus full-frame pricing, see our window replacement cost guide for Vancouver. If you are weighing glass options, our triple pane windows guide covers the payback math, and our explainer on window glazing covers what the layers do.

Energy-efficient replacements may qualify for rebates through BC Hydro and CleanBC Better Homes. Programs and amounts change, so check current programs before you book, or see our 2026 window rebates overview. We provide the glass performance specs you need for any application.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should windows be replaced?

Plan around 20 to 25 years for most double-pane windows in Metro Vancouver. That is when sealed units start failing and frames start showing wear. Windows can fail earlier with poor installation or hard exposure, and a well-made window in a sheltered wall can go longer. Age alone is not the trigger; age plus symptoms is.

Is it worth replacing 20-year-old windows?

Usually, yes. A 20-year-old double-pane window has typically lost its gas fill, its seals are near the end, and its glass technology is two generations old. You get lower heating bills, a warmer house, less outside noise, and you stop paying for one-off sealed unit repairs. If the frames are in good shape, retrofit installation keeps the cost down.

Which month is best to replace windows in Vancouver?

There is no bad month here. Vancouver’s mild winters allow year-round installation, and each window opening is only exposed briefly during a swap. Fall and winter usually offer shorter lead times because demand peaks in spring and summer. Booking in late summer gets the work done before the heating season starts.

Can I replace just the glass instead of the whole window?

Sometimes. If the frame is sound and under about 15 years old, a fogged sealed unit can be swapped on its own for much less than a full window. On older windows it is rarely worth it, because the frame, hardware, and remaining sealed units are all approaching the same finish line. Paying twice is the common outcome.

Do I have to replace all my windows at once?

No, and plenty of homeowners phase the work. Doing the worst elevation first, often the weather-facing side, is a reasonable plan. The trade-off is cost: per-window pricing drops on larger jobs because the crew mobilizes once. If most of your windows are the same age, one visit almost always costs less in total than three.

Is condensation on the inside surface of my windows a problem?

Condensation on the room-side surface of the glass is a humidity issue, common in Vancouver winters, and improved by ventilation. Condensation between the panes is a failed seal and means the unit needs replacement. On single-pane aluminum windows, heavy frame sweating is normal for the product and is a sign the windows are overdue for an upgrade.

SilverLine Exteriors has replaced windows across Metro Vancouver since 2007. We manufacture our own vinyl windows in Port Coquitlam, hold 9 HomeStars Best Of awards and a BBB A+ rating, and carry 107 Google reviews at 4.5 stars. If your windows are showing any of the signs above, call 604-942-0488 or book a free in-home assessment. We will tell you honestly which windows need replacing and which ones can wait.