Category Archives: Tips & Resources

Valerie and Rob sharing their 28 years of experience in the window cleaning business.

How to Stay Safe When Wildfires and Smoke Are in Your Area

As wildfires become increasingly common and intense, knowing how to protect yourself and your family from their effects is crucial. Whether you live in a wildfire-prone area or are facing smoke from a distant blaze, taking proactive steps can make a significant difference in your safety and health. Here’s some suggestions on how to stay safe when wildfires and smoke are in your area.

Understand the Risks

  1. Direct threat: Wildfires can rapidly spread and pose a direct threat to homes and lives.
  2. Air Quality: Wildfires produce significant amounts of smoke and particulate matter that can severely impact air quality.
  3. Health Effects from Smoke: Smoke from wildfires contains harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and fine particulate matter that can irritate the eyes, throat, and lungs.

Prepare Your Home

  1. Create a Defensible Space: Clear Vegetation to create firebreaks. Remove dead plants, leaves, and other flammable materials from around your home. Maintain a defensible space of at least 30 feet.
  2. Fire-Resistant Materials: Use fire-resistant materials for roofing, siding, and decks to reduce the risk of ignition.

Prepare an Emergency Kit

  1. Essentials: Include items such as non-perishable food, water, medications, a flashlight, batteries, and a battery-powered radio.
  2. Important Documents: Keep copies of important documents, including identification, insurance papers, and medical records in a safe place such as a fire safe or off-site.

Plan for Evacuation

  1. Escape Routes: Know your evacuation routes and have multiple plans in place in case roads are blocked.
  2. Family Plan: Establish a communication plan with family members and designate a meeting spot.
  3. Pets: Have pet carriers readily available for a quick evacuation.
  4. Valuables: People and animals are always the priority, but if you have notice of pre-evacuation, having a list of your most important items to grab is a good idea. 

Stay Informed

  1. Monitor Local News and Emergency Alerts: Sign up for emergency alerts from local authorities and use apps that provide real-time updates on wildfire status and air quality.

For Jefferson County residents: https://www.jeffco.us/473/Emergency-Notifications

For Clear Creek County residents: https://www.clearcreekcounty.us/781/Emergency-Notification-System

For Park County residents: https://www.parkcountyco.gov/97/CodeRED

Apps: 

www.watchduty.org

https://www.frontlinewildfire.com/live-fire-map-track-wildfires-near-you

  1. Monitor Weather Conditions: Keep track of weather conditions that may affect wildfire behavior, such as wind speed and direction.
  2. Check Air Quality: Air Quality Index (AQI): Use online resources or apps to monitor the AQI in your area. The AQI provides information on the safety of outdoor air and can help you make informed decisions. https://www.airnow.gov/airnow-mobile-app

Protect Yourself from Smoke

  1. Stay Indoors: Limit outdoor activities
  2. Reduce Physical Activity: Especially reduce strenuous exercise, as it can increase your exposure to harmful pollutants.
  3. Prioritize rest and hydration to help your body cope with smoke exposure.
  4. Use High Quality Air Purifiers: Use air purifiers with HEPA filters to reduce indoor air pollution.
  5. Close Windows and Doors: Keep windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering your home.
  6. Create a Clean Room: Designate a room with the best air quality in your home, preferably with an air purifier and limited windows, to serve as a refuge from smoky air.

Protect Your Health by Avoiding Exposure

  1. Stay Inside as much as possible. 
  2. Masks: If you must go outside, consider wearing an N95 respirator mask to filter out fine particles. Note that standard masks or cloth masks are not effective for filtering out smoke particles.
  3. Health Precautions: Those with pre-existing health conditions such as asthma or heart disease should take extra precautions and consult their healthcare provider.
  4. Watch for Symptoms: Be aware of symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or irritated eyes. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist or worsen.

After the Smoke Clears

  1. Ventilate Your Home: Once the air quality improves, ventilate your home by opening windows and using fans to remove lingering smoke particles.
  2. Clean Up Dust and Debris: Clean surfaces in your home that may have accumulated dust or smoke residue. Don’t forget surfaces such as walls and ceilings where particles accumulate. And of course, your windows, so you can enjoy your view again.

Stay Informed on Recovery and Community Resources

  1. Stay updated on community recovery efforts and resources available for those affected by the wildfires.
  2. Consider volunteering or contributing to recovery efforts if you are able. 

Conclusion

Wildfires and their accompanying smoke pose significant risks, but taking preventive measures and staying informed can help you navigate these challenges safely. By preparing your home, monitoring conditions, protecting your health, and knowing how to respond in the aftermath, you can mitigate the impact of wildfires and ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones. Remember, staying vigilant and proactive is key to managing the risks associated with wildfires and smoke.

Screen Cleaning

The Importance of Clean Window Screens: Enhancing Your View and Home Environment

Windows are often described as the eyes of a house, offering a glimpse into the world outside while allowing natural light to flood indoor spaces. However, the unsung heroes that facilitate this interaction with the outdoors are window screens. These mesh-like barriers serve multiple purposes, from keeping pests out to filtering sunlight and improving air circulation. Yet, despite their critical role, window screens are often neglected when it comes to regular cleaning and maintenance.

Why Clean Window Screens Matter

1. Better Indoor Air Quality

Window screens trap dust, pollen, and other airborne particles that would otherwise enter your home. Over time, these particles accumulate, reducing the quality of indoor air. Cleaning screens regularly helps prevent the buildup of allergens and pollutants, thereby contributing to a healthier living environment, especially important for those with allergies or respiratory conditions.

2. Improved Visibility and Aesthetics

Dirty screens obscure the view from your windows, diminishing the clarity and brightness of natural light. By keeping screens clean, you ensure that your windows provide a clear and unobstructed view of the outdoors, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of both your interior and exterior spaces.

3. Prolonged Lifespan of Screens and Windows

Dirt and debris can cause wear and tear on window screens, leading to premature deterioration. Regular cleaning removes debris that could damage the screen material over time, thereby extending their lifespan. Moreover, clean screens help maintain the integrity of your windows by preventing debris from accumulating in window tracks and sills. If the screen is unable to contain the debris, it falls to the tracks and sills, which can affect the functionality of the window. 

4. Energy Efficiency

Clean window screens allow for better airflow and ventilation throughout your home. In warmer months, this promotes natural cooling by facilitating the movement of fresh air indoors. Improved ventilation can also reduce the need for cooling systems, thus contributing to energy conservation and lower utility bills.

5. Prevention of Pest Infestations

Window screens serve as barriers against insects and pests seeking entry into your home. However, if screens are dirty or damaged, they may not effectively deter pests. Regular cleaning and inspection of screens help identify and address any tears or holes that could potentially compromise their function as a protective barrier.

How to Clean Window Screens

Peak Window Cleaning uses several methods to clean screens depending on the size of the screen and how dirty they are. 

Our favorite method of cleaning screens is with our screen cleaner which is a handy tool that connects to a water hose and has bristles that clean the screen when it is brushed back and forth between the bristles. 

If the screen is too large for the screen cleaner, we will use a brush or scrubber to remove debris and spray them off with a hose. 

If screens have been cleaned regularly and are being maintained, we will use a scrubber and a cloth to dry them. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, while window screens may seem inconspicuous, their upkeep plays a crucial role in maintaining a comfortable and healthy home environment. By cleaning your window screens regularly, you not only improve indoor air quality and enhance visibility but also contribute to the longevity of both your windows and screens. This simple maintenance task can have far-reaching benefits, from energy efficiency to pest prevention, making it a worthwhile investment in the overall well-being and aesthetics of your home. So, the next time you admire the view from your window, remember the unsung hero—the clean window screen—that makes it all possible.

Does Rain Mess Up My Windows?

After getting so much rain this spring, and it continuing to be in the forecast, many of you may be wondering if rain really messes up your clean windows. The short answer is, rain does not mess up your windows, dirt does. 

Rain that hits an already dirty window does indeed make the window look worse than before, but that is because the rain is sticking to the dirt, pollen and debris that is already there. Other ways your windows will get dirty is the rain picking up dirt from your roof, gutters, trees, siding, or even the window frames that hold dirt in the crevices, and washing down onto your windows or just splashing on the ground and back onto low basement windows, will result in dirty windows. Mowing grass or landscaping and construction projects create dust and dirt that clings to windows, making them dirty.

Dirty rain on window frame

When the window is clean, the rain has nothing to cling to and just rolls down the glass, leaving it just as before, clean. Rainwater is much purer than our hard mountain water which, if left on the glass too long will leave hard water stains. Groundwater contains minerals and particles that are not usually found in rainwater. If groundwater is left to dry on the glass, the result is white spots or streaks that over time, start to build up if not removed. Just think of how your shower glass looks if water is left to dry on it. 

Rain rinses off dust, dirt, and pollen off of exterior surfaces.  If your windows are clean, it helps keep dirt and pollen from accumulating on the glass.  If there is no dirt on the window, there is nothing to create a spot when it rains.  

Storm Clouds in Evergreen, CO

Rain also helps keep the particles and dust in the air down resulting in cleaner air. If the air is clean, less will accumulate on your windows, keeping them cleaner longer.  

In general, clean windows and rain just results in cleaner windows. Deciding to skip window cleanings due to the weather, can lead to damage due to buildup of debris if not removed regularly. So don’t wait to schedule your regular maintenance window cleaning due to the rain.

Hard Water Stains

A common problem we see on windows is hard water staining. Our water in the mountains is quite hard and contains an abundance of minerals and other solids. This hard water can get on glass in a number of ways. The most common is sprinklers or irrigation that is being sprayed on the glass. One of the dirtiest is water dripping off a tile roof. Water splashing off of trees or other plants. You can even find it splashing up from the dog’s water bowl! Unfortunately, it is very easy to do damage with a simple spray of the garden hose or just washing the house and leaving the water to dry on the glass. 

So what is happening? These minerals remain after the water has dried. Worse yet, they start to build up very quickly. My house has several windows that have been stained with only 2-3 splashings of the hose. Think of the cave formation, the stalagmite. The drip, drip, drip of water over the years will result in quite a hard water stain. While I have yet to see a stalagmite growing out of a window, I have seen a deposit close to 1/8″ thick!

How do I get it off? Here is the problem, it is now part of the glass. They make all sorts of powders, pastes, creams, chemicals, and acids. I have tried many through the years and nothing works too well. Our procedure is a bit more environmentally friendly, and straight from a customer. We use full-strength vinegar with a bronze wool pad. This method does a nice job of shining up the glass. It will not completely remove the stain if the deposit is bad enough, no improvement will be revealed. A product called Crystal Clear 550 is commonly the go-to product. This stuff is a wicked strong acid. I will not use this product due to its extremely dangerous properties. Damage to paint, seals, siding, and trim, not to mention the health of all of us.

We will always try to inform the customer of hard water stains and their possible causes. Fix your splash and enjoy clean again! 

When is the best time to have my windows cleaned?

Spring is finally here and our busy season is underway! The most common question we receive is “When is the best time to have my windows cleaned?”, so here is some information to help you make that decision. 

Living in the mountains brings many different weather patterns that affect how long windows will stay clean. Of course there are other factors that affect it as well such as living close to a dirt road, how exposed your house is to the elements such as wind and dirt, if there are trees close to the house and what kind of trees they are, if your house has large overhangs that protect the windows from the elements, and if your gutters are clean or overflowing with debris. Dirt, debris and hard water mineral deposits are usually what gets windows dirty in our area. All of these factors and the weather affects how long you can expect your windows to stay clean. 

The saying that spring showers bring May flowers can more likely mean snow showers here and lots of it! So what about snow, does snow get the windows dirty? Not usually. Typically in the winter months, your inside windows are dirtier than the outsides from forced air furnaces, wood stoves, and humidifiers. Rain is common from April to Nov with warmer temperatures, but our real rain season is during the summer when we get monsoons. 

Many people who have lived here a while remember that the pollen flies every June and is sometimes so significant that their windows are covered in the fine yellow dust that sticks to everything. This one particular event makes July our busiest month of the year. Is that the only time the pollen flies? No, it’s not, but the ponderosa pollen in May/June is the one that everyone remembers. 

But is July the best month to have your windows cleaned? It depends. The monsoon season follows pollen season. When it rains, does the rain usually hit your windows? If it does, then your window cleaning probably won’t last very long. A nice clean rain won’t spot the windows, but a mud rain will, or a rain with wind that hits the trees and then your house. However, the lowest wind speeds are during the summer months with higher winds in the spring, winter, and fall. 

Our customers who have their windows cleaned twice a year normally go with a spring and fall schedule which keeps the windows clean for most months of the year. 

In Evergreen, every month has a reason to clean or not to clean your windows. There isn’t a quick easy answer for everyone. We often have customers who want us to make the choice for them, but there are so many factors that are unknowns. Without living in your house, we don’t know which season will affect your particular situation the most. So we hope this summary can help you make the right decision for your house. 

Most glass manufacturers and window companies recommend cleaning your windows at least twice a year to extend the life of your windows and for general maintenance. Some require regular cleanings for the warranty to remain in place. 
Here are the specifics if you are interested in weather details:
The windier part of the year lasts for 5.7 months, from November 8 to April 29, with average wind speeds of more than 7.6 miles per hour. The windiest day of the year is January 16, with an average hourly wind speed of 9.6 miles per hour.
The calmer time of year lasts for 6.3 months, from April 29 to November 8. The calmest day of the year is August 10, with an average hourly wind speed of 5.7 miles per hour.
The wetter season lasts 5.2 months, from April 2 to September 7, with a greater than 19% chance of a given day being a wet day. The chance of a wet day peaks at 32% on July 22.
The drier season lasts 6.8 months, from September 7 to April 2. The smallest chance of a wet day is 6% on December 17.
Rain alone is the most common for 7.2 months, from April 2 to November 6. The highest chance of a day with rain alone is 32% on July 22.
Snow alone is the most common for 4.8 months, from November 6 to April 2. The highest chance of a day with snow alone is 7% on April 1.
Weather data comes from NASA’s MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for 1980-2016.

Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks from Redfin

March 10, 2020 – By Lexi Klinkenberg

Spring is almost here and with that comes spring cleaning. Often times, it’s easy to put off cleaning until the weather is nicer and you have the opportunity to really clean the inside and outside of your home. Whether you live in a sunny climate like Florida or a Rainy one like Portland, it is important to take time to clean and organize your home this spring. We asked experts from across the country to share their tips for cleaning and organizing your home this spring. 

Remove scuffs and marks on doors and walls 

While most scuffs and marks on doors and walls can be removed with a little elbow grease, for stubborn stains use a magic eraser with barkeepers friend. In some cases, this winning combo can remove permanent marker! You will have your doors looking brand new in no time. –Maid in Bastrop

Clear your space 

When spring comes, gardeners prepare plants for new growth by pruning away the 3 D’s – anything that’s dead, damaged or diseased. This spring, clear your space and let go of the 3 O’s  – anything that’s old, out of date, or overstocked. Keep the best and toss, recycle or donate the rest! –Lisa Zaslow, Gotham Organizers 

Brighten up your home 

Begin by making your home brighter. Wash windows, inside and outside, and replace all burnt out or missing light bulbs. It will make it much easier to see what things need your attention. Also, when everything is sparkling clean and well organized, all the extra light coming in during the day will make you feel energized. –Emily Anderson, MLE 

Give your kitchen a cleaning and organization overhaul

Springtime is the perfect time to give your kitchen a cleaning and organization overhaul. Deep clean your refrigerator and pantry. The first step, pull everything out and check for expired, inedible or stale items. Don’t forget about the chips, oils, spices, and cans- these items are often overlooked. Toss anything that is bad, and donate items you’re not using but still have a shelf life. When empty give these areas a good cleaning with water and vinegar. Sort like items into groups and use dividers or bins to help make categories. Be sure to add labels to help maintain the system and keep things organized for the year ahead. – IT’S ORGANIZED

Envision your end goal 

We like to begin our spring cleaning by envisioning what we want the space to look like once everything is all finished. This helps you to keep the end goal in sight, especially when deciding on what items stay and which go. From there, start with the big spaces and work your way down to the smaller, allowing your energy to be maximized on the areas that need the most attention. –Nialya Suarez, Organized Simplicity

Be symmetrical 

When getting organized, make it a goal to be symmetrical. Having matching bins brings harmony and uniformity. Take time to label each bin as it provides structure, and by using white bins, it brightens up a room. –Marie Jackson, Organized Marie 

Freshen up carpets and upholstery 

The most common issues with rugs and upholstery items are odors and traffic stains. To help control odors on your carpets and upholstery,  in a spray bottle, mix hot water, a cup of fabric softener, and vinegar. Shake well and you will have a natural odor-controlling solvent that will work on any fiber you choose to use it on. –Carpet Cleaning NYC

Wash the exterior of your home

Consider washing your home yearly, a practice that is often overlooked. You wouldn’t believe what an exterior cleaning plus a window cleaning can do to make your home feel like new again, and keep your new home looking its best for years to come. For best results make sure to use experienced contractors. –Time Machine ATX

Involve all members of your household 

During spring clutter clearing it is important to involve all members of your household. This allows everyone to focus on their own stuff and be a productive part of the household. Create a realistic plan of attack that will result in a happy home and prevent arguments.-Major Organizers 

Repair and clean your windows 

Spring cleaning is a great time to clean and repair your windows. Making sure that your windows open and close properly and that all hardware is operational. Also, maintaining any weather stripping, and cleaning the tracks and frames will ensure that you can use your windows when summer comes around. We recommend having your windows and screens professionally cleaned at least twice a year to keep them in tip-top shape all year long. –Peak Window Cleaning

Focus on one room at a time 

Spring cleaning can feel overwhelming and daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Focus on one area at a time over the course of a few weeks. Your kitchen, bathrooms, living spaces, bedrooms, garage, and your basement. You will feel defeated if you tackle the entire home in one day and it doesn’t all get finished. –Dashing Maids 

Remove the clutter 

We recommend you remove the clutter, clean your home, driveway, and patio. With these simple steps, you can embellish the exterior of your home and make a huge impression. –Atlantis Mobile Power Wash

Do a maintenance check on appliances 

It’s always a good idea to include a maintenance check on your appliances and electronics when spring cleaning, to prolong their life and catch problems before they happen. We call this “inspection for detection and correction.” This might mean spraying your computer fans with compressed air, checking cords and wires for frays, oiling your garage door, or cleaning the inside of your toaster oven. –Madeline J. Lewis, Organizers Northwest

Clean gutters and downspouts 

Spring is coming and with it plenty of rain. Ensuring that the water is running freely throughout your gutters and downspouts is a must to discourage stagnant water. You want to make sure you eliminate that damp environment where mosquitoes tend to breed. –C Clearly Pressure Washing

Make an all-purpose cleaning spray

For spring cleaning. Follow our professional spring cleaners recipe that will make nearly every surface gleam, especially kitchen counters, appliances, and inside the refrigerator. You will need baking soda, a Reusable spray bottle, and a sponge. Combine 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water, and use this mixture with a sponge to wipe messes away.             –Sydney Local Cleaners

Originally Published on Redfin 

5 Benefits of Professionally Cleaned Windows

Most of us spend a decent amount of time in our home looking out the windows, so it’s important to keep them clean.  Washing windows can be a hassle for homeowner’s especially if they are hard to reach or oversized, so its best left to the professionals like Peak Window Cleaning based in Evergreen, Colorado. Here are 5 of the biggest advantages of hiring a professional window cleaner for your home.

  1. Increase Curb Appeal

Windows are one of the first features that people see when walking up to a home, so give a great first impression to guests. According to local Evergreen Real Estate Agent, Mike Lies, if you are selling your home clean windows will let potential buyers know that you take pride in your home and it will look more visually appealing from the street which could help it sell faster and for top dollar.

  1. Dirt is Damaging

As dirt builds up on your windows, moisture becomes trapped underneath which causes smudges and tiny scratches on the glass. Not only can this make it difficult to see the outside world, but it can also negatively affect the look, feel, and even the value of your home.  It can also wear on the window seals which leads to air leaks, fogging, and condensation. Also, dirt and grime can collect on the sills which overtime can prevent proper closing of windows.

  1. Saves Time

No one wants to spend their weekend cleaning windows and if you did the job yourself you might be left with annoying smudges.  Window washing can also be dangerous if you have hard to reach panes of glass. Professional window washers have the skills necessary give you clear, streak free windows.  You can also be assured that you don’t get hurt in the process. Hire a professional, so you can spend your time on more important tasks.

  1. Enhance Window Efficiency

During the cold winter months, you want the sun to be able to shine through and warm up your home.  Dirty windows can prevent that natural process from happening.  Professional window washers will spot problems with the seals, frames, and glass.  If small issues are fixed, it will prevent leaks, fogging, and condensation, which can lead to higher energy bills and mold issues. Finding and repairing problems will also extend the life of your windows.

  1. Support Local Business

By getting regular professional window cleanings you will support the local window washing businesses.  It’s important to shop local, so you keep the money in the local economy. Also, a professional window washer is environmentally conscious, using less water than if you did it yourself and cleaning products that are safe for the environment.

Regularly scheduled window washing is a small investment that can pay off with all the above benefits. You might even save money by avoiding expensive damage to your windows. With just a phone call to Peak Window Cleaning, you will be surprised by how great your home can look and how much pride you have in it when the windows are sparking clean!

Monsoon Season in Colorado

This time of year in Colorado is considered monsoon season and we can expect afternoon storms on a daily basis. A monsoon is a large wind change that brings lots of moisture from the Pacific Ocean and the California Gulf.

In Colorado, monsoon season usually starts in July and lasts through August. It’s when afternoon thunderstorms are most frequent and severe. Monsoon storms tend to develop in the mountains and drop down into the plains. The storms are typically slow moving and produce heavy rains, which can cause flash floods.

Example forecast for July/August in Colorado.

So how does this season affect your windows? A good clean rain won’t mess up windows, but if the rainfall picks up dirt from somewhere such as the roof, gutters, trees over the house, or splashes up from the ground, it will. So it depends on how big the overhangs are on the house for the most part and whether it’s a driving rain with wind.

We recommend scheduling a gutter cleaning, so the excess debris can be cleaned out. That will help reduce the chance of the gutters overflowing and getting debris on the windows. A great part about Peak Window Cleaning gutter cleaning service is that roof debris is also cleaned off, which helps keep your windows cleaner during the monsoon season.

Looking to learn more about Colorado’s monsoon season? Check out this great video from KOAA: Monsoon Season is Arriving: What does it mean for you?

The Broken Seal

The window cleaner has finished the job and the glass still looks foggy, hazy, has drip marks or even water still on the glass. Terrible work? More likely a broken seal. Most all homes have thermopane windows. Thermopanes have two pieces of glass sandwiched together by a spacer that is usually 1/2” to ¾” thick. This spacer adheres the two pieces together and contains small beads of desiccant. The desiccants job is to prevent the buildup of moisture in between the panes of glass. When the seal “breaks” moisture is allowed to enter the space between the glass and starts to become a visual issue.

Different degrees of failure are easy to spot. A window with a light fog around the edges has just begun to go, but could equally stay the same or get worse. Bad examples can be full blown rain storms in between the panes! If the humidity levels can’t be kept at some sort of equilibrium between the interior and exterior of the home, condensation will form in the thermopane. This is why on a cold wet day things might look worse. The symptoms might not even be apparent on a sunny 70 degree day.

I observe these conditions in about 98% of the homes I do, so you are not alone. I have also noticed that most all window manufacturers have this problem. I strongly suspect that it has to do with our altitude. Windows that are built and sealed together at a much lower altitude have a lot of atmospheric pressure changes to deal with when heading ‘up the hill’. Some are built with small capillary tubes to deal with this. If they are not properly crimped when installed, it is an easy point for air intrusion.

Some windows seem to be more prone to failure than others. Large panes of glass that have site built frames are usually the worst. Add lots of sunlight or exposure to wind and the risk expands significantly. Odd shaped widows are also problematic. However, sliding glass doors seem to be immune to the broken seal. The one thing that will kill a window faster than anything is tint. Window films will not allow heat to pass through the glass. It is like taping a lid on a boiling pot of water, something has to give.

So what are your options?  The problem is visual more than anything. Unless there is a huge amount of water in between, the damage is not bad. It may be ugly to look out but really shouldn’t cause much, if any, harm.  Glass has an insulating value between R-2 and R-6 so no great losses in that area. A few companies offer in place repairs which usually involve drilling a few holes in the glass to “let off some steam”. I’ve seen some improvements with this method. If you have real bad mineral deposits or drips, skip this route. Really all that can be done to fix the problem is replacing the glass. More often than not, just the glass can be replaced. Not having the frame or the whole window assembly can bring the price of replacement back down to earth. The choice is yours, but it is really just visual.

Pine Pollen

This time of year in the mountains, you take a deep breath and the scent of warm pine fills your nose. Springtime in the mountains is a rejuvenating season of new growth and greening. However, mountain residents are familiar with the yellow cloud of dust, PINE POLLEN. Buildup from the pollen gets on everything including your windows!

At Peak Window Cleaning, we have 25 years of experience living with pine pollen. We get all kinds of questions about the pollen, so we are going to answer the most common, like what it is and when does it fly.

Example of male cones that produce the pollen.

What is the yellow dust? In a nutshell, the yellow dust is apart the fertilization process for Conifers. These ancient trees are Gymnosperms and rather than a typical flower, they have cones. So birds and insects are little help to pollinate. The trees depend on the wind. The trees release a large amount of the yellow dust to increase the chance of pollination.

When does the pine pollen season start? Warm temperatures are the trigger for the process. So in Evergreen, Colorado one can expect when temperatures start to reach above 70°F during the day, which is about mid-June, the pollen will start to fly. The trees will release the most pollen on warm, dry, sunny, and windy days.

Example of male and female pine cones.

When does it end? The length of time the pine pollen flies varieties each year. In the mountain communities, the pine pollen typically flies for about two to three weeks. The dust is usually done by the first few weeks of July.

What makes some years worse than others? It actually depends on the previous season. For example, a very dry year followed by a year of good rain fall, the trees will release a very large amount. In a dry year the trees lay more dormant because of the lack of moisture, as if it knows it has a less likely chance to achieve pollination.

Now that we have answered some of the most common questions about the yellow dust, we hope you will be able to plan for the pine pollen.