Decorating Vinyl Windows without Invalidating Your Warranty

Holiday decorating [1] can be fun, but not when you accidentally damage your vinyl windows [2] or invalidate the warranty.  Gary Pember, vice president of marketing of Simonton Windows [3], advises that “It’s important to never drill into, or puncture, the frame or sash of your windows [4].”

To balance being festive with being smart around your vinyl windows, follow these holiday decorating do’s and don’t’s:

Window Don’t’s: The Naughty ListAlt=holiday window decorating without invalidating window warranty

-- Never put nails or screws in a vinyl window frame to hold up decorative lights or holiday wreaths. This is one sure-fire way to invalidate the warranty on your energy efficient vinyl windows [5].  Also, do not glue, staple or tape lights to a window frame.

-- Do not place lit candles on a window sill, nor the edge or sash.  Damaging the sash could mean your window warranty is no longer valid.

-- Never decorate windows with anything that could impede opening your windows quickly, in case you need to use the window as an escape route during an emergency [6]. For example, don’t wrap garland ropes or artificial pine branches around the window hardware.

-- Do not place real pine branches or cones on the window frames or sill. Fresh pine sap can leave nasty stains [7] after the holiday season is over. While this may not invalidate your window warranty, it is an inconvenient mess.  Realistic, artificial pine is usually available at craft stores around the holidays.

-- Although tempting, do not spray “fake snow” from aerosol cans on your windows. The “snow” residue can be hard to remove after the holidays and can hamper the operation of your window if it sticks into the sash or hardware.

Window Do’s: The Nice List

-- Affix suction cups on the window glass to hang glass ornaments, plastic snowflakes or glass icicles so that light can come through the windows to enhance the decorations.  This poses no danger to your window warranty.

-- Hang small wreaths on the inside of a double or single hung window by using suction cups with hooks. Clear fishing line to loop the wreath gently over the window hardware [8].

-- Swags of garland or evergreen wreaths outside the home may be put up best by affixing to the siding of the house [9] and not to windows themselves.  To keep your window warranty valid, don't puncture or drill into the frame or sash.

-- Bay and bow windows are the ideal location position a Christmas tree for maximum viewing, from both the interior and the exterior of the home.

-- Make your curtain rods work during the holidays. Remove the curtains and hang ornaments from the existing rods on different lengths of fishing line or colorful curling ribbon.

-- No curtain rods [10]? Just add some inexpensive tension curtain rods to the top or middle section of your windows. Hang decorations from the rods with fishing line or garland. Decorate the rods themselves with holiday ribbon or fabric.

-- Encourage children to help decorate the windows with static cling holiday window stickers [11]. The peel-and-stick temporary decorations are ideal for putting your home in the holiday spirit.

By keeping your energy efficient vinyl windows intact and avoiding putting holes into the window frames and sashes, you will also be keeping your window warranty intact and keeping them functioning as they should all winter long.  Now THAT'S something to celebrate!