Insulating plastic windows from the inside: effective methods and tips

Modern PVC double-glazed windows are appreciated for their tightness. But with prolonged use, they eventually lose their ability to retain heat. Sometimes due to improper installation, cool air flows into the room immediately after installing new windows. To solve this problem, it is not necessary to call the masters and change expensive double-glazed windows. You can restore the tightness yourself with improvised means.

Causes of leakage

To restore the tightness of plastic windows, it is important to first find out the reason why it was broken. It depends on what methods of insulation should be used. There are a lot of factors affecting the ability to retain heat indoors. The main ones include:

• mistakes made in the manufacturing process of a double-glazed window;
• low quality of the material used for the production of windows;
• installation of low-quality fittings;
• improper installation of a double-glazed window;
• use of low-quality sealant;
• the absence or poor-quality insulation of slopes.

You can understand what is really blowing out of the window by the flame of a candle or a lighter. It is brought to the junction of the window frame to the sash. A vibrating tongue indicates that the window is really blowing. Then, by such actions, all possible places are checked, from where the penetration of cold street air is likely. Often poor tightness is observed at the junction of the window frame and slope. Then the reason lies in poor-quality installation. If the warranty has not yet expired, you need to contact the window installer to correct the situation.

Sometimes it blows out of the window if the accessories are not adjusted or the winter mode has not been adjusted. You can determine this by opening the sash and examining the lock. When the flaps are not tight enough to the frame, it also blows. The reason then becomes the wrong geometry of the window. To correct the situation, reinstalling the double-glazed window is required.

Then check what condition the seal is in. It can also cause blowing and condensation. Under the influence of cold and dirt, it gradually becomes less elastic and begins to pass through a cold draft. Then the problem can be solved by changing the seal.

Sometimes the cause of blowing becomes poor-quality plastic. Only a specialist is able to visually evaluate a glass packet by this parameter. But if the quality of the material is really poor, you will have to reinstall the entire structure.

What time to do thermal insulation

Especially acute problem of blowing windows becomes in the winter. It is at this time of year that the penetration of cold street air into the apartment is most felt. Insulation of plastic windows from the inside in winter is effective in that it is immediately clear in which place the problem was formed, and whether there is a result from the work performed.

But it is better to carry out warming in the summer or in the spring when the weather is calm. The fact is that the sealant, which is used to eliminate heat loss, can only be used at a certain temperature.

Insulation of windows inside the apartment

In order to insulate plastic windows with their own hands for the winter inside, a number of works are performed from the room in various ways with the utmost care. Thermal insulation is carried out in several stages:

1. Using mounting foam, they insulate the internal slopes of plastic windows.
2. Foamed slopes are covered with plastic panels.
3. Adjust the fittings by rotating the cam.
4. Change to a new seal. It loses its elasticity from prolonged use and needs to be replaced every 5 years.

Window sill insulation

When a cold draft from the street enters the apartment through the gap between the window frame and the windowsill, the problem is very simple to solve. It is enough to fill this gap with a simple sealant and wait for the final drying of the material. Excess sealing compound is then cut with a blade or a sharp knife, being careful not to scratch the frame or window sill cover.

When the draft enters the space between the window sill and the wall, the problem area after accurate determination is filled with polyurethane foam. When the foam dries, its excess is cut off. Then the place of work is covered with finishing materials.

Slope insulation

If a gap is found between the window frame and the wall, the reason for the draft is considered poor insulation. Violation may occur during operation of the window or immediately during installation.

After removing the slopes, perform the following actions:

1. Remove dirt, old foam and other insulating materials from the window opening.
2. The base is carefully primed and filled with all the cracks with new mounting foam.
3. When the material dries, its excess is cut with a sharp knife.
4. Perform thermal insulation again from foam or other material.
5. Close the slope with a plastic panel or a sheet of drywall.
6. If necessary, the slopes are painted with paint.

If the work is carried out in winter, when there is no way to completely dismantle the slope and disassemble the insulation to the base, resort to a temporary solution. All visible gaps are covered with sealant. This method for a short period of time guarantees protection against draft. But after the onset of heat, the slope still needs to be disassembled and high-quality warming.

Window sash adjustment

When the locking elements of the window do not fit tightly together, this also causes a draft. Then adjust the casement windows.

When the window is mounted correctly from the very beginning and the sash is in close contact with the frame, you need to slightly shift it to restore the tightness. Most plastic windows have a special system that allows you to adjust the tightness depending on the season. To determine whether the windows are in winter or summer position, they examine the locking trunnions. They have a special mark. If it is turned inside the room, the summer mode is used. The opposite position corresponds to the winter regime. The adjustment process is shown in more detail in the video.

If the summer mode is used, then in the closed state the sash does not fit snugly to the frame and there is still the possibility of street air entering the apartment. In winter, such additional ventilation is not needed. Therefore, to eliminate it, it is enough to deploy all the pins in the desired position. You can also set the intermediate position of the trunnion, characteristic of the spring-autumn period.

How to change the seal yourself

The basis of rubber seals for plastic windows can be different, but their common purpose is to limit the outflow of heat from the apartment and the flow of sounds from the outside. Replacing the gum - the procedure is complicated, but if necessary, it can be done on its own. Optimally install products labeled with EPDM. They have good value for money. There are also TPE seals on sale. Their disadvantage is the fear of low temperature. Products marked with VMQ are of great quality, but too expensive.

On sale there is also a self-adhesive sealant, which is mounted on the windows according to the principle of adhesive tape. It can be used as additional protection between the window opening and the profile. It cannot fully perform the function of a sealant.

The shape of a standard rubber seal exactly repeats all the recesses of the plastic profile. At the same time, external seals are more likely to collapse, which are more affected by the external environment. Two contours are simultaneously replaced, which are located in the frame and on the sash. Replacing only one of them leads to a weakening of the fit, which cannot be corrected by simply adjusting the window sashes.

Seal replacement procedure:

1. They pull out the old seal, grabbing it by the middle and pulling it towards itself. Usually it comes off easily, since glue is not used during installation.
2. The plastic structure is washed with a soap solution, then it is dried and degreased with an alcohol-containing agent. Especially carefully process difficult places in grooves and corners.
3. Glued profile corners to ensure a tight fit. To do this, use building glue, silicone or PVA. Further work is done after the adhesive has completely dried.
4. Prepare a cut of the rubber seal. For VMQ or TPE products, a separate piece is cut for each side of the opening. The EPDM sealant bends easily, so it is measured immediately to the entire perimeter.
5. The sealant is inserted into the grooves without tension and compression. It is more convenient to do this work together using an improvised tool.

Newspaper insulation

The most budgetary option for insulation is the use of old newspapers. They are soaked in water and filled with all the gaps with the resulting mass. From above, the filled places are covered with strips of paper, which are glued, moistened with water and greased with laundry soap.

This method has been known for a long time. It was often used for wooden windows. This method is not very convenient for modern plastic double-glazed windows, since the gaps in them are usually much smaller and newsprint in them simply does not fit.

Warming with foam rubber and cotton

Another old-fashioned way to improve thermal insulation is to plug the existing slots with technical cotton and glue on top with strips of fabric. Vata has a good ability to retain heat, and sizing fabric is good because it does not stain the frame with its residues.

When the gaps are significant, it is convenient to use pieces of foam to fill them. To reduce heat loss as efficiently as possible, it is recommended to additionally fix it to the window frame. It is convenient to make foam with an adhesive layer.

Warming with sealant and paraffin

When the gaps through which the cold draft passes are small, they are closed with a regular silicone-based sealant. Work is carried out if the air temperature exceeds +5 degrees. Windows are washed in advance with soap and wait for complete drying. Then all the cracks are filled with sealant, inserting the cylinder into the construction gun. If surplus forms during application, they are immediately wiped off. To remove the dried sealant, rags soaked in gasoline are used.If the material gets on the glass, it is easy to remove it with a knife.

Another way to get rid of small cracks is to seal them with molten paraffin. To begin with, paraffin candles are dissolved in a steam bath and the resulting liquid is collected in a large syringe. Then quickly fill it with gaps. When the defects are quite large, pieces of rope are additionally used. They fill the gap, and pour paraffin on top.

Foam insulation

It is convenient to close up the formed gaps with ordinary mounting foam. It has good heat-insulating qualities and protects windows from heat loss. To do this, the foam cylinder is placed in a construction gun and all existing defects are repaired. After the composition has dried, the excess is cut with a construction knife. From above it is recommended to mask foam insulation with building decoration materials.

Swedish warming technique

Currently, this method of thermal insulation is very popular. It got its name from the name of the material EuroStrip, which was produced in Sweden. Another name for this insulation method is groove insulation.

The main advantage of this method is that it is not a simple insulation, but an element of reconstruction of the window frame. After its implementation, the window can be opened for ventilation at any time of the year. The service life of such thermal insulation is from 15 to 20 years.

The only negative of such thermal insulation in the high cost of the material. In addition, difficulties often arise during installation, since EuroStrip material must be laid using the special technology described in the material manual.

Conclusion

To warm plastic windows, you can use any available methods and a variety of materials. But they are not the only method of reducing heat loss. The result will be better if you additionally insulate the facade of the building and put a warm front door.