Windows have gaps when closed

piperm87

Hi All,

I was having a close inspection of our windows yesterday evening as they have always been a little noisy and the missues is always complaining of drafts when sat by our french doors in living room Also now its getting colder the house is struggling to keep the heat in - even now the living room is dropping down to 16.5 / 17 degree's over night ( My bedroom was 15.8 this morning).

Anyway i was having a close look last night and i noticed gaps around the openers and i'm not sure how i can rectify it, i've added a few images to try and show a few of my findings but cant figure out how to get them to close properly. They aren't the best images but hopefully you can see what im talking about.

Any idea's or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks

Matt

Ebe_Scrooge

It's a little difficult to tell, but in that first photo it looks almost as through the window has dropped a little bit.  Can you adjust the hinges at all?

piperm87

Yeah i appreciate its a little awkward whilst looking at photo's. They can't be adjusted. Only way i can get any movement is by unscrewing the hinge from the window and re-fixing in a different position

without looking i was wondering if there could be abit of a bow in the windows. It seems to be worse on the front bedroom and living room windows which are big 10 or 12ft long bays.

Plasticman

I've got the same and chatting to a friend so has he. My windows were cheap and are about 20 years old so I suspect they've warped a bit. 

akira181

My flat has big 15 year old bay windows and they've all dropped or warped slightly over the years, resulting in gaps or poor fitment. It's relatively common I think. As long as the warping isn't significant, there are some things that can be done to try and fix.

First I'd check the black window seals to see if they're deformed or not. If they're flat spotted or so, you can change them. They just pull out and push in, just make sure you get the correct profile. Hard to tell in your photo what condition they're in.

Second you could try adjusting the keeps / lock position to have the window pull tighter closed when locking. Youtube or google will show you how (very simple, just needs an allen key)

If that doesn't work, you'll need to adjust the hinges. More complicated to DIY depending on your window hardware and probably best to get a professional in to have a look at it.

If it's really bad, a professional might need to Toe and Heel the window pane in the frame to realign.

greenface2

Hard to tell . If theyre out of line {dropped a little ) side opener . they can be toe and heeled . cannot tell if theyre internally glazed even . the welds look cracked a little . If they have shoot bolts the corners can be adjusted to be tighter . If theyre espags . the rollers on the locks can be adjusted on an off set cam in and out normally with a 3mm or 4mm allen key . cockspur handles can be pulled in tighter or add sash locks to pull the frame in . Pics are naff . some more from a distance and some of the locks . get a window repair man in and they should be able to improve that . Or theyre in the wrong job 

Bendy_House

A few wider photos might help Matt, including some of the insides of the frames - where the opener mates with the window frame.

I think some openers have 'tines' on the hinged sides, so they engage with slots in the frame as the windows are closed, and this pulls that end of the opener tight against the frame when closed. And at the other end it would usually have multi-point locking, so each corner is also pulled firm there.

What do yours have?