Very stressed

[SpecialK]

Give the installers a ring and ask them?

 

[Roger465]

If there's any way for you to put a straight edge / level on one of the 'middle members' as you call them and take a pic from sideways on, it'll give you (and folk on here) a better idea of just how bad the bow is.

Ah, they're called mullions, aren't they... I've taken a pic, but it's not easy to take a decent one with one hand.

It’s quite a tall window, I wonder if the upvc profile is changing shape slightly due to temperature differential between inside and outside. You could have 20deg inside and maybe 2 deg outside.

how much bow are we talking - 5mm or so?

the window has tall mullions, they would be quite flexible at that height.

It wont be anything to do with load from above - your windows would have been made small than the opening and then wedge up - if the bow is caused by compression it could be it was fitted with wedge packers and somebody put some right above the millions and hammered them in too hard.

It’s actually a little more complicated than I’ve said – there are two windows, one he installed 2 years ago, and one on Thursday. I first noticed it on the new one late on Friday. It’s pretty slight, but I have that kind of eye that fixates in imperfections unfortunately.

So then I thought I’d have a look at the 2-year-old one, and it’s noticeably worse (that’s the one in the picture). Thing is, it’s in a storeroom, so I don’t know if it’s always been like that, as I’d only be looking at it occasionally, and straight on – in the living room, the view from my armchair is diagonal, so it’s more obvious.

Reason I mention this is your comment about the temperature difference – the living room is kept about 18 or 19 (and this is N Ireland, it IS cold outside), but the storeroom isn't heated, so the temperature gradient will be much less – yet it’s worse. So maybe not that?

I suppose you might be right about the wedges you’d think if it distorted the frame that much it would crack the glass though?

Give the installers a ring and ask them?

Oh, I'll be onto them tomorrow - just trying to educate myself in the meantime.

 

[Notch7]

I suppose you might be right about the wedges you’d think if it distorted the frame that much it would crack the glass though?

The window would have been installed without glass, wedge up and screwed in place, then glass put in with glazing packers, so no it wouldn’t crack the glass.

 

[Roger465]

The window would have been installed without glass, wedge up and screwed in place, then glass put in with glazing packers, so no it wouldn’t crack the glass.

Right, I see. OK think I understand things now - thanks so much for your help.

Way I see it is, there's no happy ending either way - I don't think I could face having the frames dug out again and replaced.

But I'll be phoning him tomorrow, and will report back when he's been to examine them.