Hi all,
In my ongoing hacking off plaster saga I've noticed a fair amount of damp coming in around the windows. These are single glazed PVC jobs put in ~35 years ago. They will be replaced but not until next year post-wedding, when hopefully funds allow.
I've pulled off some of the box work around the windows and found a large airgap, with some chunks of 2" x 4" screwed to the wall, and then the planks for the boxing attached to that. The leaks in some were so bad that the 2x4 was completely rotted away, along with the back of the sills. Hopefully the photos below will explain my ramblings!
View where I have removed part of the box work
View up behind the remaining box work showing the lump of 2x4 that holds it
So I need to do some sort of repairs to hold back the tide until next year. Mainly to keep water out, but also to keep out draughts. At present I'm thinking of just gunking up the joins with loads of silicone sealant, and then replacing the rotted 2x4 chunks with new, and then cutting some new planks and sills from cheap pine planks to cover it up again temporarily until we can get round to doing a proper job.
Does anyone have any better suggestions? Would it be worth chucking some celotex into the gap? Better alternatives to silicon.
P.S. This is one of the better windows, one of the upstairs windows was too small so the 2" gap between the window and the aperture was filled with.... cement!
Surprise surprise this is now falling apart leaving the entire air gap exposed to the outside via holes the size of 2p pieces! Aaaargh!
In my ongoing hacking off plaster saga I've noticed a fair amount of damp coming in around the windows. These are single glazed PVC jobs put in ~35 years ago. They will be replaced but not until next year post-wedding, when hopefully funds allow.
I've pulled off some of the box work around the windows and found a large airgap, with some chunks of 2" x 4" screwed to the wall, and then the planks for the boxing attached to that. The leaks in some were so bad that the 2x4 was completely rotted away, along with the back of the sills. Hopefully the photos below will explain my ramblings!
View where I have removed part of the box work
View up behind the remaining box work showing the lump of 2x4 that holds it
So I need to do some sort of repairs to hold back the tide until next year. Mainly to keep water out, but also to keep out draughts. At present I'm thinking of just gunking up the joins with loads of silicone sealant, and then replacing the rotted 2x4 chunks with new, and then cutting some new planks and sills from cheap pine planks to cover it up again temporarily until we can get round to doing a proper job.
Does anyone have any better suggestions? Would it be worth chucking some celotex into the gap? Better alternatives to silicon.
P.S. This is one of the better windows, one of the upstairs windows was too small so the 2" gap between the window and the aperture was filled with.... cement!
Surprise surprise this is now falling apart leaving the entire air gap exposed to the outside via holes the size of 2p pieces! Aaaargh!