The Whole Repair Catalog, Priced

Fog between the panes means the insulated glass unit (IGU) seal has failed — the window itself is fine. WowFix builds the replacement sealed unit to your exact size and installs it in the existing sash, from $198 per pane with a written 5-year warranty. Works on any brand.

Repair vs. replacement: Replacing only the sealed glass unit costs from $198; a full new vinyl window starts around $1,000 — the frame and sash you already own stay.

Honest DIY note: There is no DIY for a failed seal — drilling «defogging» holes is a cosmetic patch that voids nothing but your patience. The sealed unit itself has to be replaced.

A broken pane is replaced glass-only: we measure, cut the unit to spec (tempered where code requires it), and install it in your existing frame — from $198. No need to buy a whole new window for one broken pane.

Repair vs. replacement: Glass-only replacement runs a fraction of a full window: from $198 versus $1,000+ for a new vinyl unit.

Honest DIY note: Hardware-store glass is annealed single pane; most modern openings need a sealed double-pane or tempered unit cut to spec — measure wrong once and you've paid twice.

A window that won't stay up has a worn sash balancer — a spring mechanism hidden in the frame, not a broken window. WowFix replaces balancers on double-hung and single-hung windows of any brand for $175 including parts and labor.

Repair vs. replacement: A balancer swap is $175; replacing the window because it «won't stay open» is $1,000+ for vinyl or ~$2,000 for wood.

Honest DIY note: Replacement spiral or channel balancers sell for $10–30 online — the trap is matching the exact spec (length, gauge, tension class) and re-tensioning without dropping the sash. Most of our balancer calls start with a kit that didn't fit.

Window locks and latches — spun, misaligned, or snapped — are replaced for $115 including the part. WowFix matches discontinued hardware by profile, so old windows lock like new ones.

Repair vs. replacement: A working lock for $115 versus a $1,000+ window: this is the cheapest security fix in the house.

Honest DIY note: Latches are brand- and era-specific; discontinued profiles are matched from repair catalogs, which is where DIY usually stalls.

When a casement crank spins without moving the window, the operator gears are stripped — WowFix replaces the operator mechanism for $275 on any brand, including Pella and Andersen casements.

Repair vs. replacement: A new operator is $275; a new casement window is well past $1,000.

Honest DIY note: Operators are geared to the hinge geometry; forcing a seized one usually bends the arm and doubles the job.

Drafty windows usually need new weatherstripping, not new windows. WowFix replaces worn seals with profile-matched weatherstrip for $115 per window (3-window minimum) — the highest-ROI comfort fix in an older home.

Repair vs. replacement: Re-sealing a drafty window is $115; replacing it «for efficiency» starts at $1,000 and pays back over decades, not winters.

Honest DIY note: Stick-on foam from the hardware store lasts a season; profile-matched weatherstrip lasts years — the difference is knowing which of the dozen profiles your sash uses.

WowFix cuts out rotted sash sections and rebuilds them with matched laminated wood — from $375. The repair preserves the original window, which matters in historic districts where replacements need approval.

Repair vs. replacement: Sash rot repair starts at $375; a comparable new wood window runs ~$2,000 — and never matches historic profiles.

Honest DIY note: Epoxy filler honestly works only on small, early spots; once rot crosses a joint the section has to be cut out and rebuilt.

A rotted sill is the most common inspection red flag in NC — WowFix rebuilds sills in matched wood from $475, correcting the water path so the rot doesn't return.

Repair vs. replacement: A rebuilt sill is from $475 against ~$2,000 for a new wood window — and the rot's cause (water path) gets fixed, not hidden.

Rotted frame sections are cut back to sound wood and rebuilt from $475 — a structural repair, not a cosmetic patch.

Repair vs. replacement: Frame section rebuilds start at $475 — full replacement of a wood unit is ~$2,000.

Torn window screens are re-meshed for $100 or rebuilt new to size for $150 — including pet-resistant and solar mesh options.

Repair vs. replacement: A drum-tight re-mesh is $100; new custom-built screen $150.

Honest DIY note: Re-meshing is genuinely DIY-able with a spline roller and patience — we're the option for when the frame itself is bent or you have a stack of them.

A dragging sliding door needs new rollers, not a new door — WowFix replaces roller assemblies for $475 ($535 with track wheels), and the door glides on one finger again. Any brand, including builder-grade sliders.

Repair vs. replacement: New rollers are $475; a full patio-door replacement runs ~$10,000. This is the single biggest repair-vs-replace gap in the catalog.

Honest DIY note: Roller carts are cheap online, but the door has to come off the track — a two-person lift of 100+ lb of tempered glass — and the new carts must match the sill profile.

Jammed or worn door locks — including sliding-door mortise latches — are replaced for $175 with hardware matched to the original prep.

Repair vs. replacement: A lock swap is $175 against a $10,000-class patio-door replacement.

If you can see daylight around a closed door, the weatherstrip is done — WowFix replaces door seals for $175, threshold included where worn.

Repair vs. replacement: Re-sealing a door is $175; replacing it starts around $10,000 for patio units.

Sliding screen doors are re-meshed for $250 or rebuilt new for $475, rollers adjusted so they track straight.

Repair vs. replacement: Re-mesh at $250 keeps the original frame and track alignment.

Rotted door bottoms and frames are rebuilt in matched wood — frames from $475, sashes from $575 — the alternative to a five-figure patio-door replacement.

Repair vs. replacement: Rebuilding a rotted door bottom from $575 versus ~$10,000 for a new patio door.