Blocking Window Trickle Vents

lg13mza wrote: »

We just had replacement windows and thankfully our council still let the homeowner decide whether to have trickle vents or not.

Allowing the home owner to decide isn't in the council's gift.

There is no need to install them if the window is a direct replacement for another that didn't have them before.

The law was changed, then changed back again, presumably at the behest of window companies.

I had to have them in two new openings, but all the other windows were replaced without them. At first I was told they'd all have to include trickle vents, but my builder knew the regs.

Raxiel wrote: »

I'm having new windows fitted in January, the existing ones don't have Trickle vents, so the new ones aren't obliged to either.

We don't have any problems with condensation, in fact the opposite, I often wake up with sinus headaches because the air is too dry

The problem is, we can't open the existing windows at night, because nearby road noise is too loud and the openings on the new windows are bigger, so on night latch they'll be even worse.

I've been considering having vents fitted to the new windows during manufacture, but now after reading this and other threads I'm not so sure.

Seems strange and/or frustrating that with all the developments in windows, the vents are still just 'drill a hole and put a flimsy plastic door over it'

Don't have long to decide though.

Trickle vents were never a good idea when you think about it. Why make windows as thermally efficient as possible with energy efficient glazing,draught excluders etc and then cut a whole in it and fit a thin piece of plastic on both sides of the window which reduces the thermal values of a window and is very poor with sound travel. People claim trickle vents allow back ground ventilation and help create an airflow ,well for centuries we have done exactly that by opening a window each day to "vent" a room/house. With modern window fasteners that have a "night vent" facility its easy to "vent a room" whilst keeping the window secure.

When deciding on having trickle vents fitted in new windows ask yourself this question: If trickle vents were/are such a great idea why are they no longer part of Building regs and as such are not compulsory on new windows unless the existing windows have trickle vents then Local Building control like to see them on the new windows which makes no sense but there you go.

After 32yrs of making timber windows my advice is don't have them fitted, just open a window each day to "air the room"........

We have not long had all the windows replaced. No vents, but the ability to securely latch and indeed lock the window, fractionally open. Presumably this is the night vent facility the Cpl refers to. I appreciate this setting would allow some noise in. For noise reduction, I can absolutely recommend triple glazing. Made a huge difference for us.

Raxiel wrote: »

As far as it being removed from the regs, I'm not saying you're necessarily wrong, but you can't judge how good an idea is based on what government does. After all, if coal is a dirty fuel source, why does the current US government want to subsidise it?

In the case of Building regs the Govt take advice from genuine experts such as TRADA (Timber research & Development Agency) which is partly why Building regs are only updated every few years because this gives the experts/scientists time to carry out research.

In the case of the US and coal the simple answer is Jobs, the US govt subsidises the coal industry to keep people in work in areas that rely on coal mining.

Another great example is the Arms industry where Govt contracts keep people in work, the downside is their national debt is now up around $54 trillion ... One recent Senate hearing was investigating the US Border agency where they drew and used their guns 15 times in a couple of years but somehow lost millions and millions of rounds of ammunition that they have no idea where its all gone. They spent somewhere in the region of $6 billion over a 6yrs period on buying ammo ,much of which they can't find..