Any glaziers or competant diyers?

Sackmycook

Sackmycook

Ex-owner
T6 Legend
Not Bus related hence I've gone to the pub. Now my lad has flown the nest, I'm revamping his room. One of the sealed units in his window has blown. I think I have a grasp on how to remove and change it as its simple internal beading. I'm looking at ordering the new unit online.
My question is:- how do I know if its 4 or 6mm glass and how to I find out the gap ie 12mm etc. Do I have to physically remove and measure? The inside has just got black rubbery stuff inside where I thought there would be some lettering or coding?

20220420_123407.jpg
 
20220420_125559.jpg

This is what a unit looks like when removed. It's hard to tell from your photo if that's a 4-12-4, or 4-16-4 wide unit. So for the time it will take to pop the beads out, it would be safer to measure it. You can measure the width and height of the unit at the same time. If you don't remove it. Deduct 10mm from the width and height measurements overall the glazing beads, giving a 5mm gap all round.

Also, check to see if the existing unit is toughened. There will be a marking in one of the corners of the glass.

When fitting the new unit, make a note of where the glazing packers are. A side hung casement should be 'toe and heeled' to prevent twist and the hinges binding.
 
I’ve done nearly all of ours - couple of thin scrapers / putty knives help pop the beads out. You could pop the sides first to measure the width, put them back in and pop top and bottom save disturbing the whole thing. You should be able to measure the thickness without removing the glass unit.

Ours are on double sided tape that sticks like $hit - you get one go to get the new unit in!
 
I’ve been paying about £30-35 per unit for one 500mm wide by 950mm high 4-16-4 (glass/spacer/glass)
 
Modern double glazing is generally 28mm overall so you need to measure it. Follow Paynewright’s suggestions.
 
Sackmycook said:
Where from? Online or locally supplied?
Click to expand...
I went to a local company who make / install UPVC windows. Sapphire Windows in Hinckley Leicestershire. Put all the sizes onto a spreadsheet to print & hand in (which they liked) and glass ready in 7-14 days. Typically ordering 5 or 6 units at a time - will have changed 20 units (got 3 left to do).
 
We’ve been looking at changing our windows, partially because they’ve got some god awful leadlite design and also because we’re fancying a colour change.

A fair few of the units have been replaced after blowing.

Does anyone know the lifespan of the window frames themselves? Will uPVC last forever or should it be changed out at some stage?
I dare not ask anyone involved in glazing for fear of being striped up as their next customer :whistle:
 
Ads_Essex said:
We’ve been looking at changing our windows, partially because they’ve got some god awful leadlite design and also because we’re fancying a colour change.

A fair few of the units have been replaced after blowing.

Does anyone know the lifespan of the window frames themselves? Will uPVC last forever or should it be changed out at some stage?
I dare not ask anyone involved in glazing for fear of being striped up as their next customer :whistle:
Click to expand...
It really depends on how hard the windows get hit with UV and how they were originally constructed. You could reasonably expect 20-25 years
 
We bought the house new in 2002 so ours coming up to 20 years old. By spending circa £600 I was hoping to put off the window change for another 10 years or so (by which time we may have moved). I think we’d be looking at £12-£15k to change the lot (9 windows, 2 doors, bay french doors and patio door) :eek:
 
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I used to be a surveyor for a window company in the early 90's. We were fitting uPVC into council estates around the Midlands. Many of the councils are getting round to replacing them again now. The frames themselves are still fine. The profiles look a bit dated, some of the gaskets have dried and shrunk, and handle mechanisms have worn, but the could be overhauled rather than replaced.

Today's windows offer a wider choice of profiles, colours and pretend external glazing bars. Even flush casements that look pretty damn close to timber windows. They'll take a wider glazing unit as well, so a bit better thermally.

Shop around though. I know what windows actually cost and how much companies charge to supply and install. It can be far cheaper to buy direct and use a builder on day rate to install. You can bypass the need for FENSA by submitting a building notice to the local authority and getting building regs approval for the job
 
I've replaced a few hinges on my 21 Yr old units when they break on a pivot point. Not too bad to do diy but learned the lesson that you need to replace both hinges not only the one that broke.....£8 a pair from screwfix, rather than £50 from the local window doctor guys.
 
So I have the x and y dimension after removing the beading. The unit has been very tightly packed with various widths of spacers, I'm struggling to get it out to get the thickness. Will a few taps with a rubber mallet from the outside free it or is there another technique. I don't fancy forking out for that special width measuring tool...

20220421_162357.jpg
 
Sackmycook said:
So I have the x and y dimension after removing the beading. The unit has been very tightly packed with various widths of spacers, I'm struggling to get it out to get the thickness. Will a few taps with a rubber mallet from the outside free it or is there another technique. I don't fancy forking out for that special width measuring tool...

View attachment 153959
Click to expand...
Cant you measure the width of the window its in, measure from the edge of the glass to the plastic and subtract?
 
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