Matching, not installation
Replacement and draft or seal issues on existing homes
The Exterior Desk is a matching service, not a contractor. If we have a local partner in your area, we recommend one. You decide whether to hire them. Free for homeowners.
Photo: Karolina Grabowska. Illustrative, not a project we completed.
Drafty sash, fogged insulated glass, and rot at the sills show up on older housing from Cleveland to Youngstown, and on later suburban stock as seals fail. The Exterior Desk matches homeowners with local window contractors. We do not sell or install windows.
Daytime condensation on the room side of the glass is often a humidity issue. Fog or mineral film between panes usually means a failed insulated-glass seal. Drafts at the lock or meeting rail, soft drywall at a sill, or a sash that will not stay open are reasons to have a contractor look — not reasons to accept the first 'whole-house special' pitch. We will not invent energy-savings percentages.
Cleveland doubles, Akron and Youngstown early-century houses, and many Canton and Medina homes still have a mix of original and replacement windows. Measurement, lead-safe work practices on pre-1978 homes, and flashing at the opening matter as much as the glass package. A written scope should say what is being replaced and how the opening will be finished.
Request a match with your city or ZIP, a short description, and optional photos. If you consent to a call or text, a partner contractor may contact you about the project. You are not obligated to buy.
FAQ
If we have someone in our network who covers your ZIP, a person at the desk will recommend one local contractor. We do not sell your request to a list of companies. There is no fee for a homeowner to request a recommendation. A recommendation is not a contract, and we do not guarantee the work.
A person at the desk personally knows, or has worked with, every professional we recommend, and we recommend one at a time. We confirm liability insurance and city or state registration or license, look at reviews and past customer feedback, and follow up after the job. For public adjusters and attorneys, we verify licenses with the State of Ohio; for appraisers, we confirm registration or license where it applies. We do not sell your request to a list of companies, and we will tell you if we do not have someone for your ZIP or situation. We do not invent licenses or ratings. The full account is on the How we pick our pros page.
There is no fee for a homeowner to request a recommendation. You can hire the person we recommend, or anyone else, or no one.
We publish city pages and city-specific service pages across Northeast Ohio. Coverage still depends on whether we have a partner who covers your ZIP. If your town is nearby but not listed, send the ZIP anyway.
Along the lake and inland