Bowed window - Advise Please

[jplamb]

Hello All,

I am looking for some advice if i can, I am in the process of buying a house and have noticed the window in the kitchen is bowed.

There is a survey on the house in a few days time and i am trying to find out from the previous owner if it has been delt with. It looks like the previouse owner did alot of DIY around the house and i am not sure if this is part of their project. The extention to the right in the picture attached is 100% and has been signed off by building control.

(Image in my Album - Sorry new to the site)

What do people think the issue with the window could be and if it need correcting and having a beam or something put in to support the house/window is this a big costly job?

any advice would be fantastic, Many thanks

 

[TheVictorian]

Quite common and probably caused by replacing old timber or metal windows with plastic ones that arent as strong under load.

Not a major job to sort, either needs a lintel putting in or some steel reinforcing bars installing (see helifix.co.uk for examples).

I wouldn't walk away from the house if that is all that is wrong, but you could negotiate the price down by £1k for example.

 

[jplamb]

Thank you for your reply, i am going to have another look tonight and get some better pictures.

your advise is greatly appreciated

 

[catlad]

What is going on with that soil pipe! how has that been signed off.

 

[hammerswinger]

Just because the window is bowing like in the photograph doesn't mean that there is no lintel.

Quite often with windows of that design (2 top openers over large fixed pane) you will see the window bowing down because the head of the frame hasn't been fixed. Many window fitters / DIY'ers don't fix the heads of windows especially if there is a steel lintel up there as it's difficult to drill into.
If the head isn't fixed to keep the frame up the frame is normally packed up with plastic spacers from the edge of the large pane of glass below to keep it level.

So to sum up there may well be nothing at all to worry about, there may be a steel lintel above the window and who ever fitted the window just didn't do a good job.

I would also mention the ridiculous soil pipe....that's a cowboy job if ever I've seen one.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I would seriously look at doing something with the soil pipe, that is asking for problems! Rainwater downpipe should have been taken round the soil pipe, not the other way round....

I'd lower the hopper, redo the 110mm so its straight, and rejig the rainwater around it. Basin waste could boss into the soil pipe. Might be an excuse to negotiate a bit more discount!

 

[noseall]

I must admit, the first time i looked at the image i thought it was a joke!

At the bottom of that hopper arrangement there will be a foul waste pipe.

What should have happened is the stack pipe should have been connected onto the foul system and taken up the building right where the new building is connected to the old building, to help conceal the masonry join.

Then the existing small bore wastes could have been bossed into the stack doing away with a hopper head altogether.

The window however could be easily fixed.

 

[mysteryman]

There has been a large balanced flue boiler terminal fitted at some time, leaving only half bricks supporting the lintel. This has been replaced by a fan flued boiler, with messy infilling. I would check the support at the right hand end of the window. I agree about the soil pipe; that should not have been allowed.

 

[Nige F]

Hello All,

. It looks like the previouse owner did alot of DIY around the house

He must have done the soil pipe - what else did he do