Windows are always overlooked in a property and never maintained and its so easy to do so and just by annually maintaining them it really can add years onto their life.
Window seals
A tip is to buy some Vaseline and coat up all the seals, these are the bits that are around the window vents they are made out of rubber and will perish really quickly if not kept lubricated so literally get some Vaseline on your finger and rub it all over the seals.
If they are really cracked and are falling apart they can be replaced easily, any window guy will be able to undertake this for you. Also by replacing the seals it will help with the actual seal of the window and reduce the amount of cold air leaking through.
Window Hinges
The hinges on the window vents can either be coated with Vaseline as well or a 3 in 1 oil this is particularly important to remember to do in places like the kitchen and bathroom where there is a lot of moisture and by lubricating the hinge it will prevent the metal going rusty and the hinge unable to work properly.
However do not dismay if your hinges are already in a state the window does not need replacing you can replace the hinges. I would suggest using a window fitter for this as the window vent will need to come out to change them and this can be fiddly, also the hinges come in 2 different thicknesses (stack height) so this will need to be measured before purchasing the new hinges and sometimes its just easier to leave it to the professional.
Cleaning the frame and glass
It sounds simple but keep the plastic frame clean, its good practice to go over the frames once a year to get all the previous winters crud off. Hot soapy water as standard, but also when I used to fit windows for a window fitting company we used a solvent cleaner to get all the glues and marks of. So for the real stubborn marks I would invest in some of this (check out my products page to purchase) There is also a glass cleaner we use to use that is amazing at getting the glass clean and all the marks of, one of my first jobs as a trainee was to clean all the windows after they had been fitted and what I use to do was clean all the frames with the solvent cleaner then with the same handful of tissue paper spray the window down give is a good wipe down, then get a clean piece of roll and buff it up and it would look amazing..(check out my link for the window spray)
Weep holes
Make sure all the weep holes are clear and running free, over time they get blocked up so a paper clip and a prod about would unblock these.
Broken glass unit
Last but not least the glass. Now I mentioned about cleaning it but what can happen is that the glass unit can break down, this is best illustrated by the glass becoming misty/condensation but in the middle of the glass so between the 2 sections that make up the glass unit. This happens over time as the glass unit breaks down and the argon gas escapes. Again don’t fear the whole window doesn’t need replacing just the glass. Again speak to a window fitter as they will need to come out to measure the glass and find out its thickness then this is usually easily changed over.
Hopefully this gives you a bit more insight into UPVC windows and by carrying out these small tasks will inevitably add years onto the life span, keep energy costs down and make the house look smart.
If you have any questions about upvc windows please comment on the post.
Many thanks for reading.