Impact windows age in quiet, sneaky ways. They don’t just crack one day and announce, “Hey, replace me.” Instead, they start acting off. Maybe the glass fogs up on the inside and never clears. Maybe the frame feels drafty when you walk past it. Maybe you hear a weird tapping noise on windy nights, or the lock suddenly feels softer than it used to. None of these things screams emergency by themselves, but when they start piling up, that’s usually your signal that something's slipping. That’s why homeowners eventually end up looking into impact windows in Fort Lauderdale once enough little signs stack up.
Here are the signs to watch out for.
This is one of the earliest signs people notice. You wipe and wipe, but the fog isn’t on the outside. It’s inside the panes. That means the seal failed. Once that seal breaks, moisture sneaks in, insulation drops, and your window basically stops functioning like an impact window. It’s not just cosmetic—energy loss kicks in, and the window won’t protect your home the way it should.
A closed window shouldn’t feel breezy. Ever. If air sneaks in around the edges, the seals or frame have started wearing down. Drafts also mean your AC is working overtime, which is why people often notice it indirectly when their energy bill starts climbing for no reason. A tiny draft now becomes a big problem during storm season.
Rattling, tapping, humming: impact windows are supposed to sit firm. If the wind makes your window vibrate or make any noise at all, that’s usually movement inside the frame. Frames shift, screws loosen, and once the structure isn’t tight, the window can’t withstand pressure the way impact glass is designed to.
Impact windows rely on strong hardware. If the lock feels wiggly, loose, or less solid, the internal structure may be giving out. And if the lock’s weak, the window’s stability is weak too. It’s one of those indicators people ignore until the whole window starts acting unstable.
Even tiny cracks matter. Impact glass is layered, and cracks let pressure build in weird ways. Over time, that can turn one tiny flaw into a spiderweb crack. Heat and humidity make it even worse. Any chip in impact glass is worth paying attention to.
If you suddenly need to tug or lean your whole body weight into opening or closing the window, something’s shifting. It could be frame warping, track damage, or age-related swelling. Impact windows should move smoothly, so when they don’t, the structure is changing.
This is a sneaky one. When windows lose insulation, they start leaking cool air out and hot air in. Your HVAC system then jumps into panic mode, trying to stabilize your home. It’s common for people to blame the AC first, but old windows are often the quiet culprit.
Impact windows naturally block sound pretty well. If you start hearing cars, neighbors, dogs, or street noise louder than before, the soundproofing layer inside the window is breaking down. It usually goes out slowly, so the noise feels like it creeps up month after month.
Florida heat, humidity, salt air, and nonstop sun are rough on window frames. Once the frame warps, just slightly, the glass loses support. A warped frame is basically the window telling you, “I can’t hold pressure like I used to.”
Even tiny gaps matter. Gaps mean water can enter. Air can leak. Sound passes through. And during storms, pressure pushes where it shouldn’t. These gaps don’t fix themselves; they get bigger over time.
Yellowing or dark spots around the frame often point to moisture sneaking in. And if moisture gets in the frame, there’s no stopping the rot. It spreads quietly until the whole frame weakens.
Impact windows have a lifespan. Most last around 15–20 years, depending on storms and exposure. After that, they don’t shatter, but they don’t protect the way they used to either. The materials wear down slowly, even if everything “looks fine.”
Impact windows don’t fail dramatically; they fall off little by little. Fog inside the glass, weird drafts, noisy frames, stiff movement, rising energy bills, cracks, louder outside noise, warped frames, or visible gaps all indicate that windows are no longer performing their intended function. Going through the signs one by one helps you spot what’s wearing out and whether the window has anything left to give. And once enough of these issues start showing up together, most homeowners eventually turn toward impact windows in Fort Lauderdale so their home is actually prepared for storms instead of just hoping the old windows can still handle them.
