Windows in Indianapolis take freeze, then humidity, then wind-driven rain, often in the same year. Older wood sashes stream in the morning and swell shut by summer. Builder vinyl in newer subdivisions fogs when the seal fails and stays cloudy. A storm panel on a bungalow that only rattles is noise, not a seal. If the room is cold and the heat is working, suspect the opening before the furnace.
Brick and plaster openings on older streets show every gap. An insert in a rotten sill leaves the rot. Full-frame work is justified when the stool is soft and wasteful when it is not. Many fronts still have wood double-hung units with ropes that have failed. Say what the sill feels like, and say if the paint is chalking so dust stays out of the room.
West-facing subdivision windows take sun and storms. North sides stay cold and wet. A window over a porch roof rots first because the low roof splashes the sill. Ask how the frame is flashed and what fills the gap. Interior stops and an outside cap finish the job. Fog in one builder window often means siblings of that same age are tired, but count only the ones that have failed.
Hardware can be saved when the frame is sound and the glass is clear. Forcing a painted sash cracks the meeting rail. Keep chalking paint contained. Say the floor, the street side or the backyard side, and whether you feel the draft with the furnace running. Alley-side windows on older lots take weather and also the bump of tight access.
Say how many openings, old wood or newer vinyl, and whether the frames are soft. Grid lots are tight, so mention a porch roof or a narrow side yard. Keep chalking paint contained instead of sanding it through the plaster. Call the number on this page.