BLEDDY UPVC window. Creaking like mad in the wind?

[Anastasie]

I thought it would blow in, it was that loud. Last night it didn't stop creaking.

It's the only one in the house, and was here when we bought it, but is only 5 or 6 years old apparently.

It's a piece of crap

Not only is it very stiff to close and open, but whenever it is windy it makes this racket.

I drew the curtains to see what was causing it and the whole thing just bows in when the wind blows.

Pulling on the central handle has the same effect.

Are they supposed to bend like this??

We have sash windows throughout and NONE of them makes this amount of noise, and the ones that were banging I fixed using wooden door wedges between the frames and the parting bead (brilliant).

Can't seem to do anything about the UPVC one though, and it is right next to my bed.

Does anyone have any idea what we can do? Should we try and contact the installers, or is it a waste of time? saving for a proper wooden one will take me years

Thank you

Do anyone else's windows move like this? Or is it just me with this crappy thing?

Sounds as though the lintel above it is inadequate or, more worryingly, missing, meaning the frame is holding up the wall above it. In older houses the window frames were often structural - very common in bay fronted 30s properties.

Oh, Jeez

It's not 30s, it's Victorian - and the window frame is still there, the wooden bit I mean, well some of it is at least internally - for example the sill is still wooden, and the top frame, so I think we are alright on that account.

I have looked at the edges of the plastic bit, and they seem to have had a silicon seal in place originally which is now no longer joined - ie it's moving about next to the wooden frame, that's what causes it to creak I think.

Thank goodness they left the frame.

I'm going to put money by until I can get a new wooden window built. it's either that or a replacement crappy plastic one.

Thanks for the advice.

Pictures - everything up till the lace curtains is wood, the part behind them is plastic. There seems to be a recent inner frame possibly to cover up the join?

Sorry it's a bit filthy! Not been here long enough to get round to this one... - I've been doing the kitchen, bathroom, stairs, kids' rooms...!

Hmm - I think it could be bit of a bodge. Normally upvc windows are anchored to the brickwork. I wonder if this one is screwed into the wooden frame and only slightly - maybe not at all - into the brick. It would explain the movement and creaking. Wood expands and contracts due to moisture in the air and the plastic window is rigid. Effectively the two things are pulling against each other iyswim.

Oh, yes, that sounds like a possibility. Except the wood doesn't appear to be flexing, it's the plastic - I can literally grab hold of the handle which is in the centre of the window, on the cross bar where the opening bit starts, and shake the window, and watch it moving.

I haven't had a good look at the outside yet. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it were a bodge - everything else here was. It makes me so, so cross.

Thank you for your help.

Did your survey not flag up any problems with the window? Sounds as though you haven't been there long. I expect it was a quick fix to fit the upvc unit into the existing wooden frame instead of going to the expense of completing removing the old window and frame and properly replacing them or perhaps they thought a sealed double glazed unit would be better for the attic(?) window.

It's not the attic - they have their old sashes apart from the side window which is tiny and a c. 1960s casement - very simple - and very crap, but at least fixable, as it was rotten at the bottom and we just had that bit rebuilt

I suspect it was a sort of bodge. I will ring the company today and say 'what about it', in case they have any ideas.

Basically our house is by the sea and that side of it (the back) gets a lot more weathering than the other side due to the prevailing wind. We've been here about a year now - the people before us weren't terriby well off (nor are we!) and a lot of things were done 'on the cheap' which is obvs a false economy.

I am relieved that the box frame is still mostly there as I think it means replacing just the sashes won't cost a huge, huge amount and the structure is still secure. So in a way it's good if they didn't go the whole hog.

I hate UPVC and we bought it because it still had most of the old windows, so I am torn between being gratified that I was right about that, and pissed off that we now have to look at replacing this window!

I honestly never realised that modern windows could be that problematic - I'd thought rather guiltily that my room might be the warmest. Well, it is, but it's also the noisiest

Thanks for your thoughts by the way, much appreciated.

I'd say it was a cheap window badly fitted.
We have mainly beautiful timber sashes which we had fitted, cost a fortune but are fab but to save a tiny bit of money we fitted UPVC in the bathrooms at the rear. Ours are solid as a rock despite bearing the brunt of this wind atm as our house is very exposed at the back (fields and garden, nothing to break the wind until you get to our back wall)
Ours also seem to be much better finished than yours to the original timber surrounds and look very neat.

I think you're right. I've looked up the company - sould have looked before, they look pretty crappy.

It's FENSA and we could have paid to transfer the 12 year guarantee but didn't, and I'm glad we didn't as we'd have had to have had another UPVC one from them. I'd rather save up for a wooden one and put the house back to how it's meant to be.

The survey wasn't terribly thorough (mid-level) and it just said recommend changing all windows to UPVC - not sure what that was about - it's a crap idea as we are in a conservation area and have an article 4 on our house. I hope they don't say that to everyone?

Bonkers.