Answer
Most building surveys find common window defects and door defects which may require replacement or minor repairs to ease operation and provide best performance from the windows or doors. The building survey will usually find that the house windows are made from uPVC, timber, steel or aluminium. Windows frames come in a variety of colours and styles and all suffer similar faults mostly brought on by lack of maintenance.
All window openings and window frames have parts and components that break down over time with normal use. Most window openings and window frames will be made up of the following parts and fittings, the window frame itselt, the window opening, triple, double or single glazing, handles, locking mechanism, vent openings, hinges, child safety catches, weepholes and draught seal. Most types of window faults can be repaired without the need to replace the entire window. The heat loss resulting from old windows can be great. Defective windows also have a safety, fire egress and security risks that may arise due to loose or faulty handles and locks that may prevent escape in the case of a fire.
The most common window repairs or window faults found during a building survey are,
- Glass fogging between the double glazing
- Broken / missing window handles
- Broken windows
- Cracked glass
- Mis-aligned windows
- Draughty Windows
- Inadequate window security
- Window hinges not closing windows openings against frame
- Broken window hinges
- Most window components can become faulty over time or due to lack of maintenance or abuse. Â The component parts of a window that become defective are mostly the same for all windows. When replacing window parts it is important to use high quality replacement parts (normally not used by the window supplier) to extent the life of your window.