West of Ferndale, out where Mountain View Road runs toward the Lake Terrell Wildlife Area, houses sit on open ground with almost nothing between them and the weather rolling in off the Strait of Georgia. It is beautiful country, full of waterfowl and long views toward the water, and it is hard on windows. The homes scattered around the lake and along Rainbow and Lake Terrell roads are mostly farmhouses, ramblers, and manufactured homes from the 1960s through the 90s, and a large share of them are still running their original glass.
Fogged Panes, Sweating Sills, Cold Rooms
Three complaints bring Lake Terrell area homeowners to us. First is fogging between panes, the telltale sign that a double-pane seal has failed and the insulating gas is long gone. Second is condensation running down the inside of aluminum frames on cold mornings, soaking sills and feeding mildew in the corners. Third is simple draftiness: when a southwest blow comes across the flats, curtains move in houses where the windows were builder-grade forty years ago.
Salt-tinged marine air adds a slower problem. It pits aluminum frames and corrodes hardware, so old sliders out here often grind, stick, or refuse to lock, which is a security issue as much as a comfort one.