Double Glazed Windows - adjustment to shut tight?

[davebray]

Hi all,
I've been refurbishing my daughter's 'first step on the ladder' house since early May, working evenings and weekends, and am now at the lipstick and mascara stage (the house that is :wink: ). Her house is fitted with Everest double glazed windows, aluminium framed, top hung, fitted with a 'scissor' mechanism and all sat in hardwood frames (see there is a bit of wood in this post ).
A couple of these windows on the south side of the house do not close properly; there is an approx. 5 mm gap at the top of the windows and the handles do not engage the plastic ramps at the bottom of the window correctly.
I've been on to Everest about these windows asking for some instructions on how to adjust them to close but have had no joy apart from being told they are over 20 years old and nobody there knows anything about them.
Any advice received on how to adjust these windows to shut properly would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Dave

 

[StevieB]

Sadly I think there is no easy solution to this. I had similar problems with aluminium windows in hardwood frames - gap at the top where the pane wouldnt shut properly. In the end I replaced them - which doesnt help you much. Things I did consider were drilling out the scissor mechanism and replacing it (mine were pop-riveted to the frame) or adding a trim piece to the top of the frame where the gap was to just block the gap. Either screwed into the aluminium frame or glued on. a previous occupant had clearly gone a tad mad with a silicone gun as well, but that seemed to have no effect other than to make the glass all smeary with silicone :?

You could try getting a quote from a window repairer - there are loads in the phone book and this was my next port of call but we replaced them before I got round to calling one. They may at least advise as it is a common problem, even if they are too expensive to do the actual work themselves.

Steve.

 

[oakfield]

If the scissor mechnism you are refering to is a friction hinge, they are quite prone to wearing out which stops the hinge side locating and pulliing in tightly.

Normally they are screwed in and available in a range of sizes fairly cheaply.

Like these: http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;j...tion+hinge&searchbutton.x=15&searchbutton.y=9

 

[Peter T]

My son had the same problem with some of his windows.

The scissor hinges needed replacing as there is a plastic part of the mechanism which breaks.

They are available from places like Screwfix fairly cheaply and it's generally an easy job to do.

Good luck,

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I have the same problem with one of my Everest windows I have wedged it shut with half a wooden peg between the ramp and latch. I will have to look at the hinge mechanism in the summer.

Pete

 

[chill]

wot peter t & oakfield said - ali window hinges are normally riveted , open sash so you can access all the rivets/screws, remove the bottom fixings, hinge to outer frame, first then the top ones, holding the sash as you remove the last fixing, lift sash into room and remove hinges from sash, noting the offset of the hinge, fit new hinges to sash then lift into opening fix top then bottom (1 fixing in each ) check to make sure it closes properly then put in remaining fixings. HTH

cheers Chris

 

[lurker]

Find a "one man band" window fitter they will have lots of these lying around.
A bit of WD 40 might work short term
You realise there is an adjusting screw within the hinge dont you? these are usually to tighten the mechanism when it gets slack

Hi,
I have the same problem with one of my Everest windows I have wedged it shut with half a wooden peg between the ramp and latch. I will have to look at the hinge mechanism in the summer.
Pete

Pete - if you can bring a hinge ( or photo maybe) with you next week & we can go & look on my mate's scrap pile, just down the lane.

 

[oakfield]

You realise there is an adjusting screw within the hinge dont you? these are usually to tighten the mechanism when it gets slack

These little grub screws are to adjust the friction of the hinge.
They stop it from swinging open/closed under there own wieght/wind.

I have plenty used ones from a job i just did which I could post to you, but for the £5-£10 you can get a new pair for it's not worth it as they might not be a whole lot better.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Lurker

Sound like a good idea.


Pete

 

[davebray]

Sorry for the late reply but have just got back from daughter's house and finished my evening snack.

Thanks for all the advice - I can now see a way forward to getting these windows to shut properly.

That's what I like about this website, you're never alone with a problem and you get plenty of good solid advice and help just for the asking.

Cheers
Dave

 

[davebray]

UPDATE AND RESOLUTION;
The advice given lubrication and the adjustment screws caused me to look even closer at the errant windows.
I gave a window a couple of drops of 3in1 on each of the hinge pivots - this didn't help.
So I then looked for the adjustment screws. What I discovered is that at the top of the casement frame holding the DG unit are 3 off aluminium angle brackets approx 30 mm long by approx 20 mm deep. These showed signs of scarring/damage on the top edge. Looking up at the outer frame that the casement frame is hinged in I then saw 3 off pan-headed screws, at the outer edges and the centre of the outer frame, that fouled these casement frame angle brackets. I then removed these 3 off screws.
The window now shut tight on all four sides.
There is no adjustment possible for these 3 off pan-headed screws as they seem to have been drilled, tapped and fixed during original manufacture. In other words they were never installed correctly at day 1 over 20 years ago.

My solution is to buy some pan-head self-tappers and fit these approx 2 mm further outboard of the outer frame to allow the angle brackets on the casement frame to locate just between the new pan-head screw and the inside frame. This will then allow the casement frame angle brackets, when closing, to bear correctly on the inboard edge of the pan-head (and not the top of it) thus providing a fulcrum point to pull the casement frame into full closure against the outboard edge of the inner frame.

Thanks again to all and I hope my explanation makes sense and will help somebody else with the same problem.
Cheers
Dave