Reference imagery
What a repair
actually involves.
Repair work is done in place and photographs poorly, and Elbaz Construction has no photographed repair set to show here. Rather than present unrelated work, these are clearly labelled reference images of the three most common repairs.
Illustrative reference imagery. These are not photographs of Elbaz Construction projects.
The service
Repair first.
Replace when it is right.
Windows and doors fail in a small number of predictable ways, and most of them are hardware, seal or alignment problems rather than unit failures. Rollers wear, balances lose tension, weatherstripping perishes, hinges drop and frames move slightly as a building settles.
Replacement is the right answer when the frame itself has gone, when the glazing unit has failed, or when impact protection is required and cannot be achieved otherwise. It is the wrong answer when a fifty-dollar part would have done it.
- Diagnosis before quotation
What has actually failed gets established before anything is priced.
- Repair is usually permit-free
Like-for-like repair generally is not permitted work. Replacing a unit or altering an opening usually is.
- Honest about the limit
Where repair only buys a season, we say so rather than selling it twice.
Scope
What repair actually covers
The failures that account for most window and door problems, and what fixing them involves.
Water at a window is rarely the window
Most reported window leaks turn out to be the perimeter seal, the sill drainage or the wall above — not the unit. Diagnosing that before replacing anything is the difference between fixing it and repeating it.
Operation and hardware
- Roller, track and guide replacement on sliding windows and doors
- Balance, spiral and sash cord replacement on hung windows
- Hinge, closer and pivot adjustment or replacement
- Lock, latch, handle and multi-point mechanism repair
Weather performance
- Perimeter weatherstripping and gasket replacement
- Sill, threshold and drainage path clearing so water leaves rather than sits
- Perimeter sealant renewal at the frame-to-wall junction
- Corner and joint sealing where units have opened up
Alignment and structure
- Re-squaring and re-shimming units that have moved
- Strike plate and keeper adjustment so doors latch without force
- Sagging door and sash correction
- Frame repair where the surrounding substrate has been wetted
Glazing and screens
- Glazing bead, putty and stop repair
- Failed sealed-unit replacement within a sound frame
- Screen rescreening and frame repair
- Obscure, tempered or laminated glass replacement to suit the location
Stills from the two completed units on this page. They illustrate the stages; they are not photographs of the stage named beside them.
How it runs
Five stages,
usually one visit
Most repairs are diagnosed and completed in a single attendance. The exceptions are parts that have to be matched and ordered.
- 01
Assessment
Every affected unit operated and inspected, and the actual failure identified rather than the reported symptom.
- 02
Repair-or-replace advice
A straight answer on each unit, with the reasoning, before anything is quoted.
- 03
Parts
Hardware matched to the existing system where it is still available, or an equivalent identified where it is not.
- 04
Repair
Carried out in place, with the opening made good and the unit tested through its full operation.
- 05
Water test
Where a leak was the complaint, the repair is tested rather than assumed.
Approvals
Repair rarely needs a permit.
Replacement usually does.
Like-for-like repair — hardware, seals, glazing within an existing frame — is generally maintenance rather than permitted work.
Replacing a window or door unit, or changing the size of an opening, is a different matter. In Miami-Dade and Broward, both inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, replacement units and their anchorage require product approval — a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, or in Broward a Broward NOA or accepted Miami-Dade NOA. Palm Beach County is not in the HVHZ and falls under the statewide Florida Product Approval framework instead.
We confirm which side of that line your work falls on before starting, because it changes both cost and timescale considerably.
Simplified sketch, for explanation only. It is not a permit drawing and not a plan of either project shown on this page.
From first call to closeout
- Assessment
What has failed, unit by unit.
- Repair or replace determination
Written, with reasoning.
- Permit check
Whether the proposed work is permitted work in your municipality.
- Product approval
Where units are being replaced in a wind-zone jurisdiction.
- Association approval
Where a community association controls external appearance.
- Works
Repair in place, or replacement under permit.
- Inspection
Where the work is permitted.
- Water test
Where water entry was the original complaint.
Changing the opening changes everything
Repairing or replacing within an existing opening is one conversation. Making the opening bigger is a structural alteration with engineering, permitting and, in a wind zone, anchorage design.
Nothing here is legal advice, and no approval outcome or review duration is promised. Requirements vary by municipality and by property.
Cost and schedule
What moves the number
Repair pricing is driven by parts availability and access far more than by labour time.
What moves the cost
- Whether parts are still made
Hardware for older or discontinued systems may need an equivalent sourcing exercise, or occasionally makes repair unviable.
- Number of units
Attending once for eight windows costs far less per unit than attending eight times.
- Access
Upper-storey and restricted-access openings need equipment and time.
- Whether the substrate is wet
A frame sitting in damaged wall or sill material means the repair extends beyond the unit.
- Glazing type
Laminated, tempered and obscure glass are made to order.
- Repair versus replacement
If the honest answer is replacement, the wind-zone product approval requirement changes the whole basis of the price.
What moves the schedule
- Assessment
Usually same-visit.
- Parts matching
The main variable. Current systems are quick; discontinued ones are not.
- Glazing lead time
Made to order, particularly laminated and tempered.
- Permit review
Only where the work is permitted work.
- Association approval
Where external appearance is controlled.
- Weather
Sealant and water testing need suitable conditions.
Illustrative diagram · not a photograph of a project
Six failures,
and which are repairs.
Almost every window and door complaint reduces to one of these. Four of the six are ordinarily repairs.
Hard to operate
Worn rollers, failed balances or a dropped hinge. Almost always a repair, often a same-visit one.
Will not latch
The unit or the frame has moved. Usually strike adjustment and re-shimming rather than replacement.
Draught or noise
Perished weatherstripping and gaskets. A repair, and a cheap one relative to the comfort gained.
Water entry
Most often perimeter sealant or blocked sill drainage rather than the unit. Diagnose before replacing anything.
Misted glazing
The sealed unit has failed. The glass is replaceable within a sound frame — the frame does not need to go.
Rotten or corroded frame
This is the genuine replacement case, and it is usually accompanied by damage in the surrounding wall.
What to expect
Short visits,
small disruption.
Repair work is among the least invasive things we do — but openings are open while they are worked on.
- Access
Interior and exterior access to each opening, and furniture moved clear.
- Openings open
Each unit is out of action briefly during work, so weather and security get planned around.
- Pets and children
Worth managing while openings are unsecured.
- Sealant curing
Freshly sealed perimeters need time before a water test is meaningful.
- Testing
Every repaired unit operated through its full range before we leave.
- Honest reporting
If a repair is a stopgap, you are told at the time, not later.
Questions
Ask the
awkward ones.
Six categories. Pick one and the answers change.
By diagnosis. If the frame is sound and the problem is hardware, seals, alignment or a failed glazing unit, it is a repair. If the frame itself has rotted or corroded, or you need impact protection you cannot otherwise achieve, it is a replacement. We give you that answer in writing before quoting.
Sometimes, and we say so when it is. A roller or a balance restores a unit to full function for years. Sealing around a frame that is sitting in wet wall material is a stopgap, and you should know that.
Usually not. Most reported window leaks come from perimeter sealant, blocked sill drainage or the wall above, not from the unit. Replacing the window without finding the actual path reproduces the leak in a new frame.
Most units are designed to let water in and drain it back out through weep paths. When those block, water backs up and appears inside. Clearing them is often the entire fix.
Generally no — like-for-like repair is maintenance. Replacing the unit or altering the opening usually is permitted work, and in Miami-Dade and Broward replacement units need product approval for the wind zone.
A Notice of Acceptance — Miami-Dade product approval documentation showing a unit and its anchorage are accepted for High-Velocity Hurricane Zone use. Broward accepts its own or Miami-Dade NOAs. Palm Beach uses the statewide Florida Product Approval system instead.
Often. Where a system is discontinued we identify a functional equivalent, and occasionally that is the point at which replacement becomes the sensible route.
Hardware, seals and alignment yes. A damaged impact-rated glazing unit has to be replaced with an approved equivalent, because the rating belongs to the assembly, not just the glass.
Why Elbaz
What we will actually
put our name to
- Licensed general contractor
Licensed, bonded and insured · CBC1265280.
- Diagnosis before quotation
We identify what failed before pricing, which sometimes means telling you it is a small job.
- Repair genuinely offered
A general contractor has no incentive to sell you a window you do not need.
- Wind-zone knowledge
Where replacement is right, we know what Miami-Dade and Broward require and that Palm Beach differs.
- Water diagnosed properly
Leaks traced to their actual source rather than blamed on the nearest unit.
- Tested before we leave
Operation checked, and water tested where water was the complaint.
Every claim in this column is something we can evidence. We have deliberately left out award badges, membership logos and project counts.
Reviews
I highly recommend them for home improvement. They renovated my master bathroom and a few upgrades for other guest bathrooms. They are very professional, courteous and transparent. They are great at communicating and finding ways to streamline the work. Sean has impeccable project management and customer relationship management skills. Very pleased with the work!
Omri B
Genuine Google reviews of Elbaz Construction, shown as written. None of these reviewers describes window or door repair specifically, so none is presented as one.
Redid my whole bathroom and kitchen. Great service - Great quality - very quick - very professional !! Highly recommended!
Adir Davidov
They are amazing! Very professional. Met my exact requests with so much patience and knowledge. They renovated my whole house and the whole process was such a breeze. I highly recommend them!
Lee Morali
We hired them to renovate our investment property and they provided exceptional quality service for an affordable price!
Shir Partush
Amazing experience with the entire company! They did a great job in my house for some work that needed to be completed, and I am extremely happy with the result. Super professional & great service. I highly recommend Elbaz Construction.
Mia Zafrani
After I've been Looking for a good company to renovate my house , I found those guys! These people are super professional super honest super Fast !! Don't hesitate to Rent their service! They are number one!!
carmit cohen
Service Areas
Proudly serving homeowners across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach
- Aventura
- Bal Harbour
- Bay Harbor Islands
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104 municipalities across three counties — and we hold the licence to build in all of them. Not sure about your address? Ask us.
Keep reading
Related guides
- The Impact of Miami’s Climate on Construction Projects
Humidity, salt and UV, and what they do to seals and hardware.
- Home Improvement Tips
Maintenance that keeps openings working longer.
- Choosing a General Contractor
What to check before you sign.
- Renovation vs Remodel
Where maintenance ends and alteration begins.
Related services
Start here
Tell us what it is doing
How many openings, what type they are, what exactly is happening, and roughly how old they are.
We assess and tell you repair or replace, unit by unit, before quoting either.
A replacement quote for a problem a part would fix.
Thanks — that came through.
Your details are with the Elbaz Construction team and we will come back to you, usually the same or next working day. If it is urgent, call (754) 236-0675.
Find out whether it is
a repair or a replacement.
One assessment, a straight answer on every opening, and a price for whichever is genuinely right.
