Is it normal to have bowed windows in some areas?

Notnow

I was looking at buying a home and I noticed there was a slight bow at the top of one of the window frames. There's a drop of about 5mm from the edge of the window to the middle. I asked the estate agent and they said what I thought was just a fob off line "Every home is the same around here, it's just the way the area is".

When I was driving home I saw they were correct. Virtually every house in the whole road has bowed windows. All the ones in the next road did, and the next one. Even as far as 6 miles away I have noticed that at least half of all the properties have seriously bowed windows. One was so bad you could almost fit your whole arm through the gap the top and it looked like a drop of about 20cm from the edge to the middle.

To someone with no building knowledge it looks like there's a structural problem or that there is too much weight on the window but I can't believe that every house for miles around has the same problem.

I noticed from going back 8 years on Google street view that they've been like this for that long at least.

Is this just a modern problem with UPVC windows?

AnotherJoe

Can you post pictures or a location where it can be seen on street view?

ACG

UPVC frames are not as strong as the wooden ones, so you have all of the bricks weighing on them. In theory windows over a certain width should have a lintel put in.

I replaced one of my windows for the same reason about 12 months ago, it was a good 3 inch dip in the middle. They are not expensive to fit, but if you fit it you will probably need to do the window also which is where the bulk of the cost comes in.

Notnow

ACG wrote: »

UPVC frames are not as strong as the wooden ones, so you have all of the bricks weighing on them. In theory windows over a certain width should have a lintel put in.

I replaced one of my windows for the same reason about 12 months ago, it was a good 3 inch dip in the middle. They are not expensive to fit, but if you fit it you will probably need to do the window also which is where the bulk of the cost comes in.

When you say they're not expensive to fit, how much exactly are we talking?

ACG

It would depend on the size of the window but here is an example - https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Catnic-External-Solid-Wall-Single-Leaf-Angle-Lintel-1500mm-ANG1500/p/270814

There are a few different types of lintels I think but it should give you an idea.

AnotherJoe

ACG wrote: »

UPVC frames are not as strong as the wooden ones, so you have all of the bricks weighing on them. In theory windows over a certain width should have a lintel put in.

I replaced one of my windows for the same reason about 12 months ago, it was a good 3 inch dip in the middle. They are not expensive to fit, but if you fit it you will probably need to do the window also which is where the bulk of the cost comes in.

Does that not lead to cracks in the mortar in the bricks above?

ACG

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Does that not lead to cracks in the mortar in the bricks above?

It did, which is why we replaced the window and put a lintel in.