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Before
After
Before
AfterTherma-Tru Window Replacement: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
If you’ve got a Therma-Tru window that’s fogged, cracked, or leaking air, the fix is usually a full sash or glass replacement, not a patch job. We stock Therma-Tru-compatible replacement sashes and insulated glass units, and most Fort Lauderdale jobs run between $350 and $900 installed depending on size and glass package. The short version: if you can’t see clearly through it or feel a draft around it, you’re looking at replacement, not repair.
The way most homeowners find us is pretty consistent. They notice condensation between the panes that won’t wipe off. Or a hairline crack that started near the frame and started wandering. Or the window simply won’t lock anymore and they realize the sash has sagged out of square. Therma-Tru windows are solid products, but South Florida humidity and salt air are relentless, and every part has a lifespan.
Key Takeaways:
- Therma-Tru window replacement in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $350-$900 installed
- We’re an authorized Therma-Tru installer, independent of the brand itself
- Fogged glass means seal failure - that’s a replacement, not a cleaning issue
- Call (904) 913-5886 for a free estimate, and a real person picks up
Which Therma-Tru Models This Applies To
Therma-Tru built its reputation on entry doors, but their window lines show up in plenty of Fort Lauderdale homes. The most common series we see are the Designer, Heritage, and SlimLine lines, along with the newer performance packages built for coastal wind zones. The compatibility gotcha I’ll flag right now: Therma-Tru window sashes are not universal across series. A Designer sash will not fit a Heritage frame, even if the rough opening measurements are identical. The locking hardware sits at different heights and the sash profiles differ by a quarter inch in places that matter.
Here’s how to identify what you have. Look for the AAMA certification sticker on the jamb or the etched code in a corner of the glass itself. That code gives us the glass package, the manufacturing date, and the production plant. If the sticker’s long gone, our techs measure the visible glass dimensions, the frame depth, and the cam-lock spacing to pin down the series. Once we know the series, you’ve got a real choice: OEM Therma-Tru parts or a quality aftermarket equivalent. Aftermarket sashes from established Florida glass fabricators can match the original specs and often cut the price by 20 to 30 percent, but they won’t carry the Therma-Tru warranty. Several of our Fort Lauderdale customers have also had PGT, CGI, or CWS windows elsewhere in the house, and if that’s your situation, we can quote the whole job at once and be honest about what’s worth matching and what isn’t.
Signs Your Therma-Tru Window Replacement Is Failing
- Fog or condensation between the panes. This is seal failure in the insulated glass unit. The desiccant inside the spacer is saturated, and the argon or krypton gas has leaked out. There’s no repair for this - the IGU gets replaced.
- Crank and cam-lock hardware that’s stripped or free-spinning. Salt air corrodes the zinc and pot-metal internals faster than anyone expects in Fort Lauderdale. If the lock no longer bites, the hardware’s done, and on many Therma-Tru series the hardware is integrated into the sash, so the sash gets replaced with it.
- Daylight visible at the meeting rail or jamb. Sash warping or failed weatherstripping means air and water are getting through. In a Fort Lauderdale storm, that’s not a draft - it’s a leak waiting to happen.
- A crack that starts at an edge and grows. Hairline cracks in tempered glass don’t get better. They spread, and in impact-rated units, a cracked pane means the whole impact rating is compromised until the glass is swapped.
- The window won’t stay open without a prop. Balance failure. On Therma-Tru double-hungs, the constant-force or spiral balances fatigue over time. In a coastal climate with frequent open-close cycles, we see this at the 8 to 12 year mark.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
For Fort Lauderdale specifically, here’s the honest math. A single-hung or double-hung sash replacement with standard clear insulated glass runs $350 to $550. If you need a larger casement or awning sash, figure $450 to $700. Impact-rated glass packages, which are required by code in much of coastal Broward County, push the range to $650 to $900 per opening. Multi-sash jobs get a better per-unit price because our crew is already on-site and the setup time is shared.
Every quote we write is a line-item quote. Glass package, sash or frame component, hardware, labor, disposal of the old unit. No change orders mid-job, no surprises on the invoice. The workmanship is covered, and the glass carries its own manufacturer warranty depending on whether you choose OEM or aftermarket. Before you decide anything, ask for the free second opinion: bring us any written estimate and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s fair, and how we’d price it. The 36500-Day Done Right Promise applies here like everywhere else - if it’s not done right, we come back and make it right. Ed’s name is on the door, and on every job we do.
DIY or Call Us?
Here’s where I’ll be straight with you. There are things worth checking yourself, and things that go sideways fast. You can safely inspect the exterior frame for failed caulk, clean the tracks, and check whether the lock plates are aligned. But pulling a Therma-Tru sash out of a coastal-impact-rated frame is not a weekend project. These units are heavy - a full impact-rated IGU can run 80 pounds or more - and if a sash drops during removal, you’re not buying a replacement part, you’re buying a replacement window and possibly stitches.
The other honest point: misalignment during reinstallation is the number one cause of repeat failures. A sash that’s a quarter inch off will bind, the weatherstripping won’t seat, and you’ll be back in the same spot in 18 months. Our techs do dozens of these a month across Fort Lauderdale, from the older mid-century neighborhoods around Victoria Park to the newer builds in Rio Vista. They’ve seen every frame condition the coast can produce. If you want to talk through what you’re seeing, call (904) 913-5886 - a live person answers, and we’ll tell you straight whether it’s a five-minute fix or a real replacement.
FAQs
In South Florida’s humidity and salt air, we see the glass units needing replacement at roughly 10 to 15 years, with hardware often going first - usually in the 8 to 12 year range for locks and balances. Coastal homes directly on the intracoastal or within a mile of the ocean trend toward the shorter end of both ranges. Call (904) 913-5886 and we can give you an honest read on where your specific units fall.
No. Once the seal between the panes fails and moisture gets inside, the insulated glass unit is done - there’s no reliable way to dry it out and reseal it in the field. The fix is a new IGU installed into your existing frame. Most jobs we schedule in Fort Lauderdale are done in a single visit because we pre-order to the exact glass dimensions before we arrive.
A single sash or glass unit swap typically takes 45 to 90 minutes once we’re on-site. If we’re replacing full frames on multiple openings, that’s a half-day to full-day job depending on the count and what the existing openings look like once we remove the old units. For an exact timeline on your project, call (904) 913-5886 - estimates are free.
We keep the most common Therma-Tru sash profiles, lock sets, and weatherstripping kits in our local inventory, and we can source specific insulated glass units from our Florida fabricators, usually within 3 to 5 business days. Impact-rated glass takes a little longer because it’s laminated to order. Call (904) 913-5886 and tell us the series or the glass code - we’ll confirm before you commit to anything.
Get a Straight Answer on Your Therma-Tru Windows
If your Therma-Tru window is fogged, cracked, or drafty, don’t guess at the fix. Call (904) 913-5886 and talk to a real person who can tell you what you’re looking at, what it costs, and whether it’s worth doing now or can wait. We’ll quote it free, we’ll show up when we say we will, and we’ll stand behind the work for as long as you own the house. That’s the Winslow way, and it’s how we’ve been doing it in Fort Lauderdale since 2011. The one down the road.
Written by Ed Winslow, Owner, Winslow Windows & Doors at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose Winslow Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
Low-E insulated impact glass from our manufacturer lines commonly cuts monthly cooling bills 20-30%.
Laminated impact glass shuts out up to 40% of outside noise - traffic, neighbors, weather.
Monitoring services run $30-90 a month. Laminated impact glass resists forced entry around the clock, with no subscription.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.