How to fill around new window

[deshg]

Hey everyone,

We had some (rather shoddy!) builders doing some work in our property including fitting a new window. We have had various problems with the builders and they have left having fitted the window and filled the exterior edges with expanding foam but they haven't actually finished them with mortar and there is now quite a bit of water coming in. It seems unlikely we'll get them back to finish this given how useless they are (although i'm still praying i get the certass certificate they promised!) so i just wanted to check how this should be filled.

Can you guys confirm that standard mortar should be used to fill the gaps? I have attached some pics of the window so you can see what it's like?

On a related point the window frame seems to sit slightly back from the front of the brickwork so the mortar will have to be angled to meet the edge of the window/bricks. Is this normal, i always thought the window should be in line with the bricks?

Thanks so much,

Dave

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• deshg
• 4 Jun 2014
• 1

Untitled

• deshg
• 4 Jun 2014
• 1

Untitled

• deshg
• 4 Jun 2014
• 1

Untitled

• deshg
• 4 Jun 2014
• 1

Untitled

• deshg
• 4 Jun 2014
• 1

Untitled

• deshg
• 4 Jun 2014
• 1

 

[crank39]

Judging by the discolouration of the foam that doesn't look like a recent install. My eagle eyes also spot the dgu thickness and to me that doesn't look like a 24mm unit which is the very least that is required to pass regs so unfortunately there will be no Certass cert forthcoming on this window

To finish off properly i would of removed the bricks from around the surround and re-layed them against the window, you'd probably need a handful of reclaimed bricks also to make up the shortfall but it would be the tidyest way of doing it, filling the gaps with mortar is fine for a while but it would soon crack and fall out

 

[nemesis85]

Use a hacksaw blade to cut the foam off, put some silicon down the sides, and put a trim over to cover the gap.
The trim would then need siliconing to the frame and the wall.

 

[DHFrames]

Builders eh, same old story!! I'd try and seal as much as poss then trim the top and render the sides, put a bit of dark brown dye in so it blends in with the brickwork, or get it same colour as the mortar, either way will look fine

 

[deshg]

Sorry for the crazy delay in replying everyone, i have been away. crank is right the install was quite a while ago (about 12 - 18 months), we have been working through the various issues the builders left us with, this is obviously one i should have sorted out earlier!

Since my original post we have however managed to get the Certass certificate for the window which is one good thing (even though it clearly is shoddy!)

Crank > with reference to your suggestions for fixing it are you saying that we should now remove the surrounding bricks and relay reclaimed ones tighter to the frame? Or are you saying now this is done we should fill up the gaps with thin slivers of reclaimed bricks?

Nemesis / DHFrames> Presumably when you refer to a trim you mean a standard upvc trim? Obviously it all worked out badly (!) but we went for wood framed windows to try and avoid this look. Do you need a trim for the water to run away from the window or were you just suggesting this to fill the massive hole?!

Based on all your comments i'm wondering if we can extend the frame at the top slightly (by adding a piece of wood the same depth as the current frame and filling/painting it). IF we need a run off this could have a lip that sticks out further. The gaps down the sides are no where near as large as the top and bottom so we could potentially then cut back the foam and mortar these joins and the small gap we leave at the top.

Then this just leaves us the bottom to do something about which i guess we could potentially fill with pieces of brick to match the surrounding brickwork and mortar (although we'd have to cut down the bricks and there's 2 bits of wood holding the window us which i guess we'd have to swap out and the bricks could then do their job).

Maybe i am being crazy and this is a bad idea for some reason, would love to hear what you guys think as you clearly know far more than me! Just want to try and make it look as tidy as possible given what a shoddy job they've done!

Thanks so much everyone,

Dave