Window is loose and moves

[jacoscar]

I am renovating my living room; the window is relatively new but they had put a PVC windowsill over the old wooden one.
I wanted to fit a new MDF window sill (not sure yet if before or after plastering) and while I was removing the window sill using a pry bar I noticed the window itself was moving relative to the surrounding timber frame, I can also easily move it by hand. It looks like it’s not fixed at all
Is it something easy to rectify?

 

[jacoscar]

Picture of the window from outside

 

[Wayners]

I'd run plenty of masking tape around to keep plastic clean and inject foam around frame.
When dry cut overspill and remove tape.
Poorly fitted but foam will fix

 

[jacoscar]

I'd run plenty of masking tape around to keep plastic clean and inject foam around frame.
When dry cut overspill and remove tape.
Poorly fitted but foam will fix

Are you saying a window should only be kept in place by foam?

 

[Wayners]

Are you saying a window should only be kept in place by foam?

Many years ago I was in Louisiana and at all they held windows in with was foam. Stood chatting to fitters for interest.

Thunder bolts are good if you want to use but if you want a easy permanent fix nothing wrong with foam

 

[jacoscar]

Many years ago I was in Louisiana and at all they held windows in with was foam. Stood chatting to fitters for interest.

Thunder bolts are good if you want to use but if you want a easy permanent fix nothing wrong with foam

I was expecting to be told to screw some wood screws through the window frame into the timber

Is the foam supposed to act as glue?

 

[ronniecabers]

I was expecting to be told to screw some wood screws through the window frame into the timber

Is the foam supposed to act as glue?

Definetly screw it , all windows/doors should be ' mechanically ' fitted to the building , foam alone is NOT correct , It is a Building Regulation fail. Foam should ideally only be used as a secondary fixing and to fill any gaps around the frame

 

[foxhole]

Frame should be fixed to brickwork , timber will rot and could loosen window.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

... if you want a easy permanent fix nothing wrong with foam

Other than it can be cut out with a hacksaw blade to gain entry to the building, that is? Screws, steel straps and Thunderbolts stop this method of attack

 

[^woody^]

TBH, all the reasons normally cited as why not to use foam on it's own, are tenuous.

Fully and properly foamed in, and if the foam is shielded from UV, there is no reason why the performance and longevity wont be just as good as with screw fixings.

However in practical terms, a screw fixing could be considered an additional safeguard with little time and effort.

 

[jacoscar]

I still don't understand the mechanism of the foam keeping the window in place, in my case the window can easily be pushed towards the outside; is the foam supposed to create a bond (is it sticky?) or to block it from outside? If it's the latter, where would I spray it?