Window frame gap needs closing - what's the best way?

[Ali81]

I've a window with a gap around the frame in one corner - it measures about 1 ft x 1.5ft. It's pushed out on the outside too, so there's a draft.

Can I just use strong glue and push the frame back in, or would that put pressure on the window pane and risk cracking it over time? Any other alternative?

Thanks

 

[Mr diy a lot.]

Certainly looks like an amateur hour install! Yes def shove the frame back against the surround again to its original position. But for it to stay there you probably need to fix it again.

If it’s moving freely then the glass won’t crack but if you did not want to run risk of breaking the pane you could remove the double glazing panel by carefully prising away the plastic trim that holds it in and then get her all in position and replace pane afterwards.

To fix it and remove the drafts see if there is an easy win to put a few screws through side of frame into something solid( you would need window pane to be out for that) and then find a way to carefully squirt some expanding foam behind it and it will expand and hold everything together. Then use frame sealant round outside for a pro finish.

Some old school builders got uppity about using expanding foam for window installs as it was seen as ‘cheating’. But it only took one call back from a customer over a cold draft coming in to have them all converted and swearing by the product.

 

[^woody^]

Mastic or caulk

Quadrant or scotia

 

[Mr diy a lot.]

Any decent brand of exterior frame sealant will do the trick - caulk/mastic can be interchangeable terms. But I would interpret caulk to be decorators caulk for interior painting jobs and mastic / frame sealant for external jobs. rule of thumb for those external seals is to do them in the same colour as the external windows (not the colour of the external wall)

you thinking the internals need a a bit of trim to bridge the gap? If you knock the window back hard up against the edge of the surround it prob wont need it maybe just a bead of caulk to tidy it up. But if she does need a bit of trim scotia or quadrant style both valid although personally I think quadrant looks much better.

 

[Ali81]

Certainly looks like an amateur hour install! Yes def shove the frame back against the surround again to its original position. But for it to stay there you probably need to fix it again.

If it’s moving freely then the glass won’t crack but if you did not want to run risk of breaking the pane you could remove the double glazing panel by carefully prising away the plastic trim that holds it in and then get her all in position and replace pane afterwards.

To fix it and remove the drafts see if there is an easy win to put a few screws through side of frame into something solid( you would need window pane to be out for that) and then find a way to carefully squirt some expanding foam behind it and it will expand and hold everything together. Then use frame sealant round outside for a pro finish.

Some old school builders got uppity about using expanding foam for window installs as it was seen as ‘cheating’. But it only took one call back from a customer over a cold draft coming in to have them all converted and swearing by the product.

Thanks. I plan to take the window out and properly fix the frame to the wall before replacing the pane.