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Bowed UPVC windows

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My partner and I recently viewed a house that we really liked in a great area, and have been trying to decide whether to make an offer, and for how much.

The property in question has UPVC windows fitted, but each of these seem to be bowed, looking from top to bottom of the window, the bulge outwards in the middle, to the extent that sticky foam has been stuck to the middle section of some of them to prevent drafts! Is this something that would require the windows to be replaced or something that can be fixed?
If it doesn’t move, and it should, use WD-40. If it moves, and it shouldn’t, use duct tape!
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Comments

  • maninthestreet
    maninthestreet Posts: 16,127 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    Every window is bowed? This should not be the case if there is a lintel across the top of each window - how old is the house?
    "You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"
  • hazyjo
    hazyjo Posts: 15,475 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    As above, I would be worrying about support for the house above the windows! Any obvious cracks in the brickwork?

    Jx
    2024 wins: *must start comping again!*
  • propertyman
    propertyman Posts: 2,922 Forumite
    Hazyjo is correct this is caused (in most cases) by inadequate support to the structure above the windows.

    Otherwise it might be due to other movement in the building and the windows might be the weakest link.

    The answer is to make an offer subject to survey and have it inspected by a local chartered building surveyor asap. You risk the survey fee so you had better look at how much you want the house.

    If you do want to proceed you will be pressured to do all the other things so simply agree first refusal for a week as most firms can inspect in 2 or 3 days. When instructing them send them some photos in advance to see if they need to refer it to a specialist and save time.
    Stop! Think. Read the small print. Trust nothing and assume that it is your responsibility. That way it rarely goes wrong.
    Actively hunting down the person who invented the imaginary tenure, "share freehold";
    if you can show me one I will produce my daughter's unicorn
  • koneko
    koneko Posts: 105 Forumite
    We didn't spot the issue until we got upstairs, as we saw the window with the foam stuff stuck to it. I looked at a couple of the other windows and could see the same issue.

    The house is late 70's/early 80's. No cracks anywhere that I could see - and I did make a point of looking. The only other issue we spotted was that the bathroom floor sloped a little in one corner. Couldn't see any issues from downstairs so was thinking it wasn't a huge structural issue, but certainly any offer would be subject to survey.
    If it doesn’t move, and it should, use WD-40. If it moves, and it shouldn’t, use duct tape!
  • jc808
    jc808 Posts: 1,756 Forumite
    Be aware that some older properties had load bearing windows - ie the old window frame would support some brickwork above without a lintel above.

    When the modern window fitter comes along and takes the old window out he just puts his in, possibly without flagging up the problem....
  • dimbo61
    dimbo61 Posts: 13,727 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    You need a full survey if you have sloping floors, bowed windows in a 70/80s house?
    Might be a non starter if you do not have the money to make good!
  • koneko
    koneko Posts: 105 Forumite
    Will we need to pay for the full buildings survey (mortgage advisor went through the survey options when we first saw him and I remember this being roughly 1k) or would we be able to employ a structural engineer to look specifically at the window and floor issues?
    If it doesn’t move, and it should, use WD-40. If it moves, and it shouldn’t, use duct tape!
  • Gingernutty
    Gingernutty Posts: 3,769 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Duplicate post. Don't know what happened there. Sorry.
    :huh: Don't know what I'm doing, but doing it anyway... :huh:
  • Gingernutty
    Gingernutty Posts: 3,769 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Sloping floors and bowing windows? :eek: Personally, I'd walk away.

    If you are hell bent on buying the place, then pay for a full structural survey and then be prepared to either walk away, negotiate a lower price or prepare to stump up for some serious repairs.
    :huh: Don't know what I'm doing, but doing it anyway... :huh:
  • koneko
    koneko Posts: 105 Forumite
    The reason we are considering this property is that there is literally nothing else on the market that has suited what we are looking for. We've viewed so many properties that have just been straight off no's (mainly due to size) that it was great to find one that actually has more space than we need.

    If it comes down to it and the issues are going to be costly to fix, then we will walk away and will have to go back to the drawing board - but a quick rightmove search shows that there is nothing else in our area that we would even be interested in viewing at the moment. Thankfully the sloping floor was just in one corner of the bathroom, where the bath is, so it may not be sinister. OH thinks the windows are just warped due to age/cheap windows, but the only way we will know for sure is to get someone to check as I wouldn't want to make a mistake at this point that costs us down the line.

    Prices are starting to rise in our area (south of england) and the advice from our mortgage advisor and my parents financial advisor is to buy sooner rather than later.
    If it doesn’t move, and it should, use WD-40. If it moves, and it shouldn’t, use duct tape!
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