Old double glazing

[Steve]

I have old double glazing,I believe it dates back to 1991 - that date is stamped onto the metal strip between the panes of glass, along with "welwin"- not sure if this is a trade name etc.

Anyway, the windows are quite draughty, due to the rubber seals having shrunk over time. Is it possible to get these resealed? Do all PVC windows have the same seal profiles? Would it still be possible to get these? Would silicone sealant work just as well?

Also, the outer black seals have decayed in the sunlight and whenever I clean the windows outside now, I end up dragging black smears across the white PVC. Not pretty!!

When the double glazed units have lost their seal (I believe all have, as even when completely cleaned inside and out there is still some mist there when the sun shines on them), are they still as efficient?

Is it possible to keep the old frames, but have new glass and new seals fitted?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[AWMuPVC]

Hi there,

You will not be able to replace the seals on the windows, all upvc windows have different beading and seal fitments.

Sealant could work for a short while but this would not be a long term fix, and obviously this cannot be used as a seal for the opening window draught seals.

It is advised to replace the windows to be honest as yours seem to be on borrowed time.

If you PM me with sizes I can give you an idea on price for DIY windows.

Dave

 

[rjm2k]

Look on ebay there are shops that do sample packs of different gaskets for a pound, see if any are similar enough to yours. Search for "window gasket sample" you should see images and be able to work out if it's worth ordering the sample pack.

 

[AWMuPVC]

Do be careful to check if the glazing gaskets are different from the draugh excluder gaskets on the opening sashes.