"Window Defogging? What's That?"

Money, money, money.

Money, money... That's the call now. I hear that everyday. I no longer hear readers say, "I want to install 40 brand-new Andersen windows." Instead, I hear: "How can I make my current windows last?"

Personally, I think this has nothing to do with our current economic crisis. I think it just makes good sense. You've never felt sick to your stomach until the day you've seen 40 demo'd windows, ranging from worthless to pretty good, tossed in a rolloff Dumpster or the back of a Pella Window truck, ready to go to the landfill. You begin to think, Why? What's the point? If fifteen were bad, why did we throw out the other twenty-five? Well, because the salesman told you to. He was like Kaa, the hypnotic snake in The Jungle Book, whispering sweet lies in your ears like:

• "Those good windows are about to fail soon anyway..."
• "If you buy ten, you might as buy ten more..."
• "I'll give you a good deal..."
• "We have a minimum order size of [five, ten, fifteen...]"

So let's inject a little sanity into the discussion and say that yes, it is possible to extend the life of your windows, obviating the need for a $25,000 full window replacement job.