Air sealing windows and doors

[tonyshouse]

Air sealing round frames is crucial to airtightness and comfort 

 

attention to detail is crucial 

 

many new homes are colanders, very draughty and consequently don’t perform as design intended 

 

this is what I did ten years ago - still working, all wet plastered http://tonyshouse.readinguk.org/air-sealing-windows-and-doors/

[MikeSharp01]

Looks good - have you had a recent air test to see if the whole place is still as you built it 10 years back?

 

[Olf]

3 hours ago, tonyshouse said:

Air sealing round frames is crucial to airtightness and comfort 

attention to detail is crucial

Well qualified Fensa registered professional installers are of the opposite opinion, even use of expanding foam was breach of their high standards in my case:

 

[MikeSharp01]

4 minutes ago, Olf said:

Well qualified Fensa registered professional installers are of the opposite opinion, even use of expanding foam was breach of their high standards in my case:

What is going on here, did they manage a close air tight fit without the expanding foam and / or compriband, or is this a tongue in cheek dig at FENSA?

[Olf]

The latter I'm afraid Another scam scheme like most of other self certifications, result not worth the paper issued, but not having one makes you the bad one ?

I fully agree with @tonyshouse, fixing the gaps around the windows brough immediate difference, it is just bitch to do and so annoyance that it could have beed done right first time much easier.

I'm also interested how is it performing now, espcially the caulk used as sealant? I used modern materials to fix, though their much dearer:

 

 

[tonyshouse]

I do have some shrinkage of wood and wood based windowboards but no draughts emanate from the gaps. The house does seem less airtight than when I built it, but that could equally be old age creeping on at me. 
 

can’t raise the enthusiasm to do another air test. I did seal several leaks early on where I realised things weren’t quite done right so I may even be tighter. 
 

windows are brilliant, as day one, front door not so good but I made it . 
 

no evidence of sealants failing and no draughts round or through windows 

[joe90]

My builder plastered up to the wooden frames, I told him to use a stop bead so I could caulk that (and stay flexible) but he convinced me it was not necessary. Well I was right, wooden windows shrank a little and the air test showed some leaks. My builder was very good but on this subject I was right. The cracking also pulled the edge of the plasterboard apart a little, even Jeremy Harris suffered the same.

[craig]

On 06/08/2021 at 12:33, Olf said:

On 06/08/2021 at 08:52, tonyshouse said:

 

Well qualified Fensa registered professional installers

When we went for registration a few years back, the fensa rep checking us only checked the glass used and a quick visual inspection.

 

We’ve let It lapse and won’t be renewing. Complete waste of time and energy, as long as our installers (sub contractors) are certified to tick the box.

Edited November 24, 2021 by craig