Trickle vents - retrofitting

dont_use_vistaprint

Anyone successfully retrofitted these? I'm looking at airbox which is more expensive, but seems an easier product to fit . be interested to hear from anyone who has done this kind of project

tacpot12

I've retrofitted trickle vents on a uPVC bathroom window. It was very easy. I just offered up the vent to the uPVC frame making sure it was centered and level, and then drew around the vent with a pencil. Then I just drilled a series of holes inside the marked area, before fitting the trickle vent components to each side of the frame. I can't remember how they were fixed to the frame, but I seem to remember that both the inside and outside components came in two parts, and that you screwed one part to the frame before snapping the decorative part onto the first part.

Drilling through the frame might be harder if the frame has steel reinforcement inside it, but if you hit steel, just change the drill speed to be really slow and use a new, good quality HSS bit, e.g. Bosch.

Boohoo

tacpot12 said:

I've retrofitted trickle vents on a uPVC bathroom window. It was very easy. I just offered up the vent to the uPVC frame making sure it was centered and level, and then drew around the vent with a pencil. Then I just drilled a series of holes inside the marked area, before fitting the trickle vent components to each side of the frame. I can't remember how they were fixed to the frame, but I seem to remember that both the inside and outside components came in two parts, and that you screwed one part to the frame before snapping the decorative part onto the first part.

Drilling through the frame might be harder if the frame has steel reinforcement inside it, but if you hit steel, just change the drill speed to be really slow and use a new, good quality HSS bit, e.g. Bosch.

I am not sure what building the OP has but if it's a house it won't be easy to do upstairs windows of a ladder safely.

I would of thought there would be some videos on internet to give the OP some ideas of what is needed.

dont_use_vistaprint

tacpot12 said:

I've retrofitted trickle vents on a uPVC bathroom window. It was very easy. I just offered up the vent to the uPVC frame making sure it was centered and level, and then drew around the vent with a pencil. Then I just drilled a series of holes inside the marked area, before fitting the trickle vent components to each side of the frame. I can't remember how they were fixed to the frame, but I seem to remember that both the inside and outside components came in two parts, and that you screwed one part to the frame before snapping the decorative part onto the first part.

Drilling through the frame might be harder if the frame has steel reinforcement inside it, but if you hit steel, just change the drill speed to be really slow and use a new, good quality HSS bit, e.g. Bosch.

Thanks for this. That sounds straightforward drilling a series of holes rather than trying to cut out the exact shape of the vent. The airbox product is quite different. You cut away a bit of the sale and fit it to the edge no drilling needed but I'm thinking now the standard vent  is probably a better idea and presents  in a more standard way when selling the house

dont_use_vistaprint

Boohoo said:

tacpot12 said:

I've retrofitted trickle vents on a uPVC bathroom window. It was very easy. I just offered up the vent to the uPVC frame making sure it was centered and level, and then drew around the vent with a pencil. Then I just drilled a series of holes inside the marked area, before fitting the trickle vent components to each side of the frame. I can't remember how they were fixed to the frame, but I seem to remember that both the inside and outside components came in two parts, and that you screwed one part to the frame before snapping the decorative part onto the first part.

Drilling through the frame might be harder if the frame has steel reinforcement inside it, but if you hit steel, just change the drill speed to be really slow and use a new, good quality HSS bit, e.g. Bosch.

I am not sure what building the OP has but if it's a house it won't be easy to do upstairs windows of a ladder safely.

I would of thought there would be some videos on internet to give the OP some ideas of what is needed.

hi it's a detached 3-bed non cavity wall construction.


I'm absolutely fine up a ladder I've just recently re-sealed  the tops of all the window frames and done some work on the gutters and roof all from a ladder so this doesn't concern me. Measuring and centering across a large upstairs window could be a bit tricky though. Downstairs will be done first anyway French doors  and a large bay - bathroom and kitchen are actually fine as I have good fans and always open the window when using them.

in fact, all windows with the exception of the French doors   could potentially be put on slightly open but it's just slightly inconvenient plus I do travel and spend all periods  out of the country &  I would prefer all the windows properly closed

I'm sure there are lots of videos on the Internet I wanted to hear experience of someone whose done it