Why a plastic window allows cold

Changing an old tree to a new-fashioned metal-plastic, each apartment owner hopes to reduce heat loss in the living space. But alas, sometimes technology passes in before winter frosts and starts to pull significantly from the window. There may be several reasons for this.

Why a double-glazed window allows cold

Incorrect installation. This problem can be suspected if the "siphon" start in the very first cool days after installation. To clarify the diagnosis, just hold your palm on the slopes and windowsill near the window. And then compare the temperature of those surfaces with that of the glass unit. If the latter turned out to be warmer, then the source of the problems was found. Now it remains only to recall how the installation was carried out in order to assess the prospects of self-repair.

Plastic windows are usually installed in two ways:

  1. At a depth of 1/3 of the outer edge of the wall, when on the outside there is the opportunity to make a kind of step on a quarter of a brick. This means that from the side of the street the window frame is held by the walls of the building, and the mounting foam is protected from sunlight;
  2. In the center of the wall thickness, if the step is impossible to do. In such a situation, the functions of the "quarter" are assigned to the external slope, completely hiding the mounting foam and increasing its thermal insulation properties ...

In the first case, self-repair is acceptable (if the warranty is not valid). To conduct it, it is enough to open the slopes from the side of the room and check the quality of foaming. All slots must be thoroughly blown with foam.

Also, during the repair, it is important to look under the window tide. Quite often, the need to foam the space under it is simply “forgotten”. But during the inspection, safety precautions should be followed and, at a minimum, ask a partner to insure against falling out of the window. If there is a void at low tide, it is also carefully blown out.

In the same case, when the window was mounted without a “quarter”, the maximum that you can do yourself is to open the slopes and make sure that they are poorly foamed. After that, you should call the masters. Self-repair in such conditions will simply be more expensive and troublesome.

Seal deformation - The natural result of their long-term operation without proper care. This problem is identified by visual inspection - cracks in the elastic bands indicate the need for their complete replacement. Dismantling the old seal and installing a new one do not require special skills, you can carry out the work yourself. In the future, in order to extend the life of this element, it must be treated twice a year with silicone-based products.

Leaky sash also drafts. You can eliminate it by simply adjusting the accessories, which have summer and winter modes. If there is no experience in carrying out such work, it is better to call a specialist.

Changing the sash tightness according to the season is an effective way to extend the life of the seals. In the summer, gum expands and requires more space, which is provided by an increase in the gaps between the plastic elements of the frame.

Pulls from a double-glazed window most often in the case when single-chamber windows were installed. Subjectively, this feels like a stream of cold air "rolling" from the windowsill into the room. To exclude other probable causes, it is enough to touch the glass and compare its temperature with that of the slopes in the zone of contact with the window. The wall in this situation seems warmer. The only way to fix the problem is to supply heated air to the window. For this purpose, a windowsill with ventilation ducts along the frame is well suited. Its peak captures the streams coming from the heater and directs them to the double-glazed window, thereby preventing the accumulation of cold air in the window opening.

Manufacturing defects usually detected almost immediately after installation. But sometimes it is detected only with the onset of cold weather. Slight skewing of the frame, violation of the tightness of the double-glazed window, improper fixation of accessories become noticeable when trying to adjust the window to winter mode or when there is a serious difference in internal and external temperatures. You can fix the problem only with a defective window - for this you need to contact the company that made it.

Operation and selection tips

In order to avoid depressurization of window frames with the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to timely adjust the fittings. In addition to monitoring the "winter-summer" position, tightening the screws will also eliminate sagging sashes.

It is also important to control the direction of heat fluxes. If the protruding window sill and heavy curtains prevent its penetration into the window opening, this will provoke the accumulation of air cooled by double-glazed windows, which will create the illusion of the presence of drafts.

When choosing windows, it is important to consider that single-chamber options are only suitable for warm regions. If in winter the temperature drops below -10 ° C, then from such windows it will seriously blow cold. There are several ways to avoid this.

  • choice of two or multi-chamber windows;
  • installation of double-glazed windows filled with noble gases;
  • tinting of internal glass with a short-wave radiation filter film.

The first two methods reduce the total thermal conductivity of the plastic window. The third reduces it to a possible minimum. The fact is that the shielding layer freely passes long-wave sunlight, without affecting the illumination of the room. But the short-wave ultraviolet does not let out. As a result, even the glass itself feels significantly warmer than analogs without such a coating.

And finally: it is desirable to control the process of installing windows. After all, it is the results of improper installation that are the most common reason that cold bridges appear in the window opening.

Watch the video: How to Winterize a Window with Plastic Film - Stop Cold Drafts - Save Money - DIY (March 2024).

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