Cracks around double glazing

[cs94njw]

Hi

I bought an ex-council house about a year ago.

I've just realised that all the double-glazed windows, and even the front door, now have a space/crack between it and the surrounding structure.
Each of these windows/doors are now letting drafts through.

Either I didn't notice it when I first moved in, or the paint around the edges of the doors/windows was hiding the cracks and has finally decomposed, or the doors/windows have shrunk(!?).

As I'm getting a draft through these holes, I assume these holes extend to the outside of the house.

Is this kind of thing normal?

Do I try and paint over it? Or should I use a sealant on the inside of the house? Or maybe tackle the problem from the outside of the house?
By the way - I'm a rubbish painter.

Any suggestions you could offer would be very welcome!

Regards,

Nicholas

 

[roughcaster]

Hi Nicolas,
Your double glazed windows and front door should be sealed on the outside with silicone sealant, so the cracks/gaps, around the windows etc on the inside will not (shouldn't) extend right through to the outside. The draught will probably be coming from the cavity in the wall. The cracks are probably due to shrinkage between the reveals and the frame. Don't fill them up with paint, use a thin bead of flexible sealant/filler from a tube,and carefully apply it around the window frame with the applicator gun.Lightly wet tip of your finger,and gently smooth off the bead running your finger along it, let it dry/cure and then paint over it. You could also do the same job with silicone, but emulsion will not take to it, unless you paint first and then silicone. If you feel that you are not able to do this job, get someone in to help.You can make a mess here if you get it wrong.

Roughcaster.

 

[cs94njw]

Thank you very much for that! That seems to do the trick!!

 

[noseall]

i guess that, the frames securing the double glazing are timber?

if so, you can used an oil based mastic sealant that can be over-painted.

 

[roughcaster]

I didn't know that noseall. What colours would that be in? Thanks for that.

Roughcaster.

 

[noseall]

I didn't know that noseall. What colours would that be in? Thanks for that.

Roughcaster.

aaah, that's the beauty of products that can be painted.

it doesn't matter what colour they are.

 

[roughcaster]

Cheers noseall,
Tut tut, dozy me. I see it now. I didn't see it before.
What was the colour of that green paint again?


Roughcaster.