Why does a plastic window let in the cold?

By replacing old wood with newfangled metal-plastic, every apartment owner hopes to reduce heat loss in the living space. But alas, sometimes technology gives in to the winter frosts and the window starts to feel noticeable. There may be several reasons for this.

Why does a double-glazed window allow cold to pass through?

Incorrect installation. This problem can be suspected if it starts siphoning in the first cool days after installation. To clarify the diagnosis, simply run your palm along the slopes and window sill near the window. And then compare the temperature of those surfaces with that of the glass unit. If the latter turned out to be warmer, then the source of the problems has been found. Now all that remains is to remember exactly how the installation was carried out in order to assess the prospects for self-repair.

Metal-plastic windows are usually installed in two ways:

1. At a depth of 1/3 from the outer edge of the wall, when on the outside it is possible to make a kind of step on a quarter of a brick. This means that on the side of the street the window frame is held by the walls of the building, and the mounting foam is protected from exposure to sunlight;
2. In the center of the wall thickness, if it is impossible to make a step. In such a situation, the functions of the “quarter” are assigned to the outer slope, which completely hides the polyurethane foam and increases its thermal insulation properties.

In the first case, self-repair is acceptable (if the warranty is invalid).To carry it out, it is enough to open the slopes from the side of the room and check the quality of foaming. All cracks must be thoroughly filled with foam.

It is also important to look under the window sill as the repair progresses. Quite often, the need to foam the space underneath is simply “forgotten.” But when conducting an inspection, you should follow safety precautions and, at a minimum, ask your partner to protect you from falling out of the window. If a void is discovered under the ebb tide, it is also carefully blown out.

In the same case, when the window was installed without a “quarter”, the maximum that can be done independently is to open the slopes and make sure that they are poorly foamed. After this, you should call the experts. Do-it-yourself repairs in such conditions will simply turn out to be more expensive and troublesome.

Deformation of seals - a natural result of their long-term use without proper care. This problem is revealed by visual inspection - cracks in the rubber bands indicate the need for their complete replacement. Dismantling the old seal and installing a new one does not require special skills; the work can be done independently. In the future, in order to extend the service life of this element, it must be treated with silicone-based products twice a year.

Poor sash fit also manifests itself as a draft. This can be eliminated by simply adjusting the fittings, which have summer and winter modes. If you have no experience in carrying out such work, it is better to call a specialist.

Changing the tightness of the sash depending on the season is an effective way to extend the service life of the seals.In summer, the rubber bands expand and require more space, which is provided by increasing the gaps between the plastic elements of the frame.

Pulls from the double glazing most often in the case where single-chamber windows were installed. Subjectively, this is felt as a stream of cold air “rolling” from the windowsill into the room. To exclude other probable causes, it is enough to touch the glass and compare its temperature with that of the slopes in the area adjacent to the window. The wall in this situation seems warmer. The only way to fix the problem is to supply heated air to the window. A window sill with ventilation ducts along the frame is well suited for these purposes. Its visor captures the flows emanating from the heating device and directs them to the double-glazed window, thereby preventing the accumulation of cold air in the window opening.

Manufacturing defects usually detected almost immediately after installation. But sometimes it is discovered only with the onset of cold weather. A slight distortion of the frame, a violation of the tightness of the double-glazed window, or improper fixation of the fittings become noticeable when trying to adjust the window to winter mode or when there is a serious difference in the internal and external temperatures. The problem can only be fixed together with the defective window - to do this, you need to contact the company that installed it.

Tips for use and selection

To avoid depressurization of window frames with the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to timely adjust the fittings. In addition to controlling the “winter-summer” positions, tightening the screws will also help get rid of sagging of the sashes.

It is also important to control the direction of heat flow.If a protruding window sill and heavy curtains prevent it from penetrating into the window opening, this will cause an accumulation of air cooled by the glass unit, which will create the illusion of drafts.

When choosing windows, it is important to consider that single-chamber options are only suitable for warm regions. If in winter the temperature drops below -10 °C, then such windows will seriously blow cold. There are several ways to avoid this

• choice of two or multi-chamber windows;
• installation of double-glazed windows filled with noble gases;
• tinting of internal windows with short-wave radiation filtering film.

The first two methods reduce the total thermal conductivity of a plastic window. The third reduces it to the possible minimum. The fact is that the shielding layer easily transmits long-wave solar rays without affecting the illumination of the room. But short-wave ultraviolet radiation is not released outside. As a result, even the glass itself feels much warmer to the touch than its counterparts without such a coating.

And finally: it is advisable to control the window installation process. After all, it is the results of improper installation that are the most common reason why cold bridges appear in the window opening.