Draughty Windows

[chriselevate]

The double glazing in my house is around 8 years old and fitted by the previous owners. I find the windows noisey (from passing cars) and slightly draughty.

Is this normal or there anything I can do to improve the problem. The windows are synseal I think.

Thanks for any help and advice on this.

 

[KenGMac]

chriselevate, good evening.

Sometimes the rubber / neoprene seals fitted to the frames and to which the moving sashes make contact with the frames can perish or become deformed to the extent that the seals become in-effective as originally intended.

On odd occasions the frame [especially older metal frames] can deflect and as such the movable sash does not make contact with the frame never mind the seals.

I have done a temporary fix to a situation such as the above and fitted thin compressible sticky backed foam to the frame and that has assisted a lot to reduce air leakage on that particular window.

Suggest you have a careful look at the state and contact of the seals and the window frames? Seals can be replaced ?

Ken.

 

[crank39]

I tend to agree in looking at the seals first, after 8 years I doubt they'd be perished but could of flattened off a little so a turn of the cams could help but this will only affect the lock side. Changing out the rubbers would be a none starter as its a co-extruded system(bonded gaskets). I notice though that the sashes are quite tall, these tend to bow out in the middle and do not touch the gaskets - check here first visually and then try and side some paper in, it shouldn't slide in easily or better still at all

 

[chriselevate]

Yes, they aren't perished but I wonder if they have flattened/crushed over the period of time. I can't notice any major draft from them but there's a definite coldness coming from them. IS this expected or do you think that something can be done to reduce this? I can't slide paper into the frames next to the gaskets. The gaskets listed on their site (https://store.synseal.com/c-2423-gaskets.aspx) won't work due to them being a co-extruded system (bonded gaskets) then? Thanks for the help on this.

 

[crank39]

Windows may seem drafty for another reason; namely a process known as convection. Convection can lead you to believe that your windows are drafty. Convection occurs when air gives up its heat to the cooler glass and sinks towards the floor. This movement sucks new, warmer air towards the glass that is in turn cooled, creating a draft. What you are actually experiencing is the process of warm air forcing colder air to move due to differing density properties. Heated air circulates through the home. When it reaches window glass it effectively pushes the existing cold air off of the glass

 

[chriselevate]

crank39 - thanks for your help with this. Yes, this is possibly the case as I can't find any obvious gaps or air moving other than the draft you have describe. Is it a very common process that takes place making people think they have drafty windows when in fact it's just convection?

If it is convection (which it sounds like it is), what would you advice doing to reduce this? My heating system is a wet UFH system and I'd like to reduce/counteract the convection as much as possible. I realise that it's a natural process so it's not as easy as stopping it but I wondered if there were tips or suggestions to reduce the effect of it?

Thanks for your help and input.