Noisy window Sill

[Wooster]

Not sure where to post this query. Buildings / Roof & gutter etc.
But here I am...

The design of my 1930's house means that one window sill get 'bombed' with rain - if the wind is in the North - and the rain runs down the wall. There is no gutter or eave.

When I had the original wooden sills there was never a noise problem. The wood was dense and it absorbed the noise. But rain on the plastic sill is very noisy. The sills are (practically) hollow and it sounds as if someone if playing a small drum kit. The recent heavy rain has made the room impossible to sleep in.

I want to quieten the sill. I've thought of building out some sort of flashing at the top of the window frame, that would drop the water further out than the sill. But think it would be ugly.

I've also thought of temporarily attaching something soft to the sill (rubber, foam?) to stop the rain drop hitting the sill so hard. But I don't know what to use nor how to attach it.

So - does anyone have an idea on how I can get some peace and quiet?

 

[Nige F]

You didn`t expect ...your uPVC window to be doing that today did you ?

 

[Wooster]

You didn`t expect ...your uPVC window to be doing that today did you ?

Oh yes I did. When it rains hard and the wind blows from the north - I fully expect my uPVC to be noisy. Question is: How do I stop the noise?

 

[catlad]

If you have a camping roll mat that should absorb the sound, you could cut a few strips of the bottom relevant to the width of your sill. stick it down with stix all its water proof.

 

[seasickstevie]

Perhaps if you remove the two endcaps off the sill, then squirt expanding foam ino it, far enough to reach the middle, then just maybe it'll do the trick.

Let the first end expand before starting the second end, to minimise an air trap.

But cover up the wall below the window before you start. Otherwise you'll never get rid of it off the pebble-dash !

 

[Nige F]

Perhaps if you remove the two endcaps off the sill, then squirt expanding foam ino it, !

I thought of that but the stuff is such a menace - like sticking to the render/expanding too much - I`ve had trouble with it before How about filling with sand/cement , weak dry mix. You could make a wooden tray to fit the end of the open cill and push it in off there with a dowel etc. Slow and fiddly job but your time is free , the mix is cheap and can be cleaned off the wall/ground easily

 

[seasickstevie]

How about filling with sand/cement , weak dry mix.

Got to admit, that's probably a better idea. Although some of those sills have several small cavities. Whether s&c could be pushed into the smallest, I'm not sure. Could do a combination of s&c in the main cavity/ies and foam in the smallest if necessary.

 

[Nige F]

Good point SNM I assumed the cavity in the cill was continuous -But thinking on , how about drilling holes in the top of the cill to inject the foam - ends first then leave to set , then the rest . Then fit a piece of L shaped uPvc onto the cill on a bed of neutral curing silicone

 

[Wooster]

Hello guys

Many, many thanks for your thoughtful and ingenious replies!
I loved the idea of squirting a watery cement into the sill. It would make it more solid than the old wooden one. Sounded a perfect solution.
But when I examined the end of the sill... I've had the house re-pebble-dashed after the uPVC windows were put in. So the sill end cap isn't removable any more.

So, thanks for your ideas. They have given me food-for-thought.

Untitled

• Wooster
• 16 Jul 2012
• 1

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