Is Your Home Ready for a Scottish Winter? Warning Signs Your Windows and Doors Need Replacing
Scotland doesn't do mild winters. By October the temperatures are dropping, the wind is picking up and any weakness in your home's envelope, windows, doors, seals and frames will make itself known very quickly. If you've been putting off a decision about replacing your windows or doors, the weeks before winter is the worst time to delay. Here's what to look for.
Draughts You Can Feel Without Trying
Stand next to your windows or doors on a breezy day. If you can feel cold air coming in without putting your hand right up to the frame, the seals have failed. On older uPVC windows this is usually the result of the rubber gaskets shrinking and cracking over time. On timber frames it's often swelling, warping or failed putty. Either way, that draught is pulling heat out of your home and pushing your heating bills up.
Condensation on the Inside of the Glass
A little condensation on the room side of the glass first thing in the morning is normal in cold weather. But if you're seeing water droplets or misting between the panes in the middle of the glass unit itself, that's a completely different problem. It means the sealed unit has failed and the argon gas that provides insulation has been replaced by damp air. A failed sealed unit cannot be repaired. The glass needs to be replaced, and if the frames are old it often makes more sense to replace the whole window.
Frames That Are Cracking, Yellowing or Warping
uPVC windows have a lifespan of roughly 20 to 25 years. As they age, the material can yellow, become brittle and crack particularly on south-facing elevations that get the most sun exposure. If your frames have visible cracks or the corners are pulling apart, the structural integrity of the window is compromised. No amount of resealing will fix a frame that has failed.
Windows and Doors That Are Hard to Open or Close
If you're having to lift a door to get it to close, or force a window handle down to get it to lock, the frame has moved. This is common in older timber frames but it also happens in uPVC as the reinforcing steel inside the profile corrodes or the hinges wear out. A window or door that doesn't close properly isn't just uncomfortable, it's a security risk.
Locks and Handles That Don't Work Properly
On composite doors and modern uPVC doors, the multipoint locking system is what keeps your home secure. If the handle is loose, stiff or the lock won't fully engage, that door is not doing its job. In many cases the mechanism can be replaced independently of the door, but if the door itself is old, worn or no longer energy efficient it's worth considering a full replacement.
High Heating Bills With No Obvious Cause
If your energy usage has crept up but nothing else in the house has changed, your windows and doors are a likely culprit. Single glazing loses heat roughly ten times faster than modern double glazing. Even older double glazing, anything installed before around 2005, will be significantly less efficient than current A-rated units with warm edge spacer bars and argon fill. Modern windows can make a noticeable difference to your heating bills from the first winter.
Noise Is Getting Worse
Good double glazing significantly reduces the amount of external noise that reaches the inside of your home. If traffic, neighbours or wind noise has become more noticeable over the years, it's a sign that the sealed units are no longer performing as they should. Acoustic performance and thermal performance tend to fail together.
The Right Time to Act Is Before Winter, Not During It
Window and door installations can be completed in all weathers, but it's far more comfortable for everyone and easier to schedule, if the work is done before the worst of the winter arrives. Leaving it until January means working in the coldest conditions, often with longer lead times as other homeowners who also left it too late are booking up the same slots.
If any of the above sounds familiar, now is the time to get a free home survey booked. Elite Group Scotland cover Falkirk, Stirling, Edinburgh, Livingston, Dunfermline, Alloa and all of central Scotland. We're FENSA approved (Reg. 45056), use our own trained fitters and back every installation with a 10-year insurance-backed guarantee. Call us on 01324 312443 or get in touch at elitegroupscot.co.uk and get your home sorted before the cold really sets in.