How to insulate a plastic window with your own hands - step by step instructions

Even the most expensive plastic window can become airtight due to long-term operation, which will result in the flow of street air into the room. This problem can be dealt with without outside help, if you carefully study the material of this article, you can understand how to insulate plastic windows.

insulation of plastic windows — Manufacturers of plastic windows assure that new double-glazed windows made using the most modern technologies will maintain a comfortable temperature in the house all year round.

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Reasons for blowing plastic windows
How to find the place from where it is blowing
What are the ways to insulate a window
- Insulation inside
- Insulation outside
How to insulate a plastic window - step by step instructions
Using Energy Saving Film
Video: ways of insulating plastic windows

Reasons for blowing plastic windows

The main reasons why a plastic window lets outside air in a locked state include:

violation of the tightness of the window frame structure;
problems with the clamping mechanism;
blowing out from places around the frame - slopes and window sills.

plastic windows — Many owners of such windows are faced with the problem of drafts and cold penetration into the room.

Most often, when it comes to blowing out a new window, the first thing to do is to check the quality of the installation. In this case, you can contact the installers with the requirement to eliminate the imperfections. When installing windows on your own, you should carefully check the quality of sealing of all places where the frame joins the wall.

blowing from plastic windows — Determining the reason for blowing a plastic window begins with whether it is new or old.

How to find the place from where it is blowing

In most cases, it is not difficult to find the place of blowing. Most often they use for this:

The palm of the hand. Passing it along the frame, you can catch the movement of air, thus identifying the problem area.
Lit match. The flame will begin to ripple when near a leaky area.
Paper. Thus, the reliability of the seal of the window elements is checked - if the sheet easily passes between the individual sections of the glass unit in which the seal is installed, then the problem is in this element.

blowing from the window — You can check with a lighted match or candle - the light will begin to vibrate at the slightest movement of air.

When checking, it is necessary to pay attention both around the entire perimeter of the window frame and under the windowsill. Problems with access to outside air often appear there as well.

blowing from under the windowsill — If you encounter a problem with improper installation or obvious factory defect, repairs under warranty should cover all additional costs.

What are the ways to insulate a window

Depending on the type of insulation problems identified, the types of work to eliminate it are divided into:

internal;
outdoor.

Note! It is strongly not recommended to carry out outdoor work, especially at high altitudes, on your own. In this case, it is better to seek professional help.

blows the window — Often, plastic windows are installed by firms whose employees do not have sufficient qualifications. Errors are possible when trying to install windows with your own hands.

Another rather significant factor is the purchase of high-quality materials and components for repairs. Firstly, if you save on such details, the repair will have to be repeated almost annually.And secondly, some cheap elements, even in an unused state, often cannot guarantee high quality insulation. This can ultimately come at a very high cost associated with the loss of heat in the room.

Next, let's move on to step-by-step instructions on how to insulate plastic windows with your own hands.

Insulation inside

Internal work on window insulation can be divided into:

adjustment of the clamping mechanism;
replacement of sealing rubber;
warming of the space between the walls of the frame and the window sill.

Important! From the above list, it is recommended to trust the professionals to work on adjusting the clamping mechanism; in the absence of experience, you can not only poorly adjust the system, but also aggravate the problem even more.

Insulation outside

Work on the external insulation of the window frame is reduced to a high-quality sealed finish of the slopes. If there is no doubt about the tightness of the inter-wall space, to identify the reasons for blowing the window frame from the street side, you should contact the specialists, it is dangerous to carry out such manipulations on your own.

How to insulate a plastic window - step by step instructions

If the cause of the leaky window frame is identified, work can be started to eliminate it. To do this, you must have the following tools:

rubber hammer;
a set of screwdrivers, including a hex;
a flat thin screwdriver or a thin knife;
pliers.

Warming by replacing the seal

It is possible to insulate plastic windows if it blows the frame even after the appearance of such a problem, but it is recommended to carry out maintenance work on the seal not as it appears, but at a frequency of approximately every 3-5 years.

seal replacement — A contour or under-glass seal may need to be replaced - you can do the task yourself.

Most often, the sealant dries up and ceases to perform its main function efficiently.

Seals in the window frame are contour and under-glass. In any case, these jobs are pretty simple to carry out.

insulation of windows — When laying the sealant, it must not be tightened and twisted, and before work, the material is cut 3-5 cm longer than the desired length.

To replace the glass seal:

We take out the plastic glazing beads securing the glass unit.
Remove the lining and take out the glass unit from the frame.
We remove the old seal from the grooves. We put a new one in the same bed. It is recommended to fix the new seal with a little glue for a better fit.
We assemble the window in reverse order.

window seal — Excess material can be carefully removed after the strip has been laid.

Note! When laying the seal, do not allow it to be excessively tensioned (it is recommended to leave a margin of 3-5 cm, before laying, the excess is removed afterwards with a knife) or twisting.

Adjusting the pressure mechanism

During operation, even the highest quality window mechanism breaks down over time. Its adjustment is not as difficult as it might seem from the outside. You need to have at hand a hex key (most often its size is 4 mm), or pliers, depending on how the mechanism for pressing one or another window is arranged.

window adjustment — Insufficient tightness of the window mechanism clamping leads to a deterioration in the sealing of the sashes, and therefore to the appearance of drafts.

We carry out adjustment work in the following sequence:

On the sash of the window, when it is opened from the side of the handle, we find special eccentrics - nuts of a round or oval shape, protruding on the surface.You can find them by slightly turning the knob - the desired element will also start moving.
We adjust the eccentric with a tool, hexagon or pliers. This element is twisted clockwise. As a rule, there is a notch on the eccentric, and if it is directed into the depth of the window, the pressure is strengthened, and outward - weakening.
We check the quality of the adjustment by closing the window and monitoring the problem area. If the blowing is eliminated, the work is completed, otherwise we continue the adjustments until the required result is achieved.

adjustment of pvc windows — You can adjust the mechanism yourself if you have the necessary tools and some skills.

Note! It is recommended to rotate the eccentric a short distance during adjustment so as not to aggravate the clamping problem.

Another issue that can be encountered when operating the pressure mechanism is the hinge. To adjust them, remove the plastic casing and use a hex screwdriver to bring the mechanism to full clamping of the frame. The direction of movement will depend on the type of loops - we twist the loops of the right location clockwise and counter-clockwise - the left-sided ones.

adjustment of loops — In this case, it is important not to overtighten the clamp too much, so as not to disrupt the operation of the mechanism.

Insulation of seams and slopes

The energy saving of the room also depends on the quality of insulation of window seams and slopes.

As a rule, most often, blowing begins with the drying of a layer of polyurethane foam, which is most often used to seal the window space. If a similar problem is found, we remove the old layer of insulation, clean the surface well from dust and dirt, and then fill the cavities with a new sealant.

thermal insulation of windows — Non-insulated plastic slopes, both from the outside and from the inside of the window, can become a big problem during the cold season.

After the foam has dried, we move on to organizing the slopes. In this case, you can use both drywall for the window frame and materials for plastering.

Note! When in contact with polyurethane foam, some materials (most often in a liquid state) contribute to its deformation, which can cause the frame to skew.

After carrying out the work on the insulation of the slopes, the final stage with the help of an all-season sealant is the sealing of the seams. Particular attention is paid to the space under the windowsill, most often the street air can come from there.

insulation of slopes — You can decorate this space with plaster or sandwich panels.

Using Energy Saving Film

Energy-saving films are a material that combines a plastic component as a base and the finest metal spraying, which is responsible for saving energy in a room.

According to available statistics, it is the double-glazed windows that are the main cause of heat loss from the premises during the cold season. And energy saving films are a great way to solve this problem.

film for windows — The use of a heat-saving film on glass is a good option for additional insulation of the window and preservation of heat in the room.

Depending on the composition of the material, the film can be completely or translucent.

By the method of fastening, self-adhesive films are distinguished, and those that must be additionally fixed on the surface of the frame with tape.

Energy Saving Window Film — An energy-saving film is a product that allows a window to turn into a kind of heat shield that organizes a cozy and comfortable microclimate in the room.

When glued to glass, such a film, due to its composition, reflects infrared rays from its surface, directing them back into the room and not allowing excess heat to dissipate. With high-quality installation, such materials are practically invisible to the eye, but the effect of their use becomes noticeable almost immediately, especially in rooms where the windows face the north side.

film on windows — High-quality energy-saving films can reduce heat loss through window glass in winter by up to 30%.

This material will help everyone understand how to insulate plastic windows. This will help to keep the room warm, and in the budget - additional funds for savings from heat loss.