Draughty windows & cold rooms

[maverick]

We bought a Bryant house about a year ago and with others complained early on that the windows and doors were draughty. All the windows/doors had thicker seals installed (throughout the site) but this hasn't been entirely successfull. Our utility room is so cold we've had to fit a draught excluder on the kitchen door to try stop cold air from coming in from the utility. The windows are frankly rubbish and that's coming from the site window fitters. Has anyone managed to successfully get replacement windows/doors that actually work in a case like this?

[zednine]

hello there

join the club... my house was built by wainhomes...its drafty as hell..so bad i had it cavity insulated..

developers only build to a minimum standard layed down by nhbc

[platinumdesign]

This is an all too common porblem here in South Lincs, the planning department insist on new homes being built with timber casements, there is no compromise for uPVC casments.

Find out what planning conditions were put in place for the use of timber units, find out if you have had PD rights removed. If you have had them removed, apply for planning to replace windows (it wont cost you anything if PD rights have been removed, you may also want to apply for a conservatory at the same time, valid for 3 years!!)

If PD rights are in tact, just change them, planners cant do a thing.

[euroseal]

There is a company which specializes in manufacuring to order over 600 different replacement window and door seals for all types of windows.
This could solve your leaking/ draughty window are door problems.Take a look at the website. type in EUROSEAL on google for further help

[marlyn1]

When I had a NHBC inspector out regarding a draughty window matter. His response was that the builders only use the cheapest PVC windows as "when Mrs Smith across the road replaces her windows other people follow by replacing their window, so what's the point installing good quality windows!" So the mode of the thought is install rubbish as they probably get replaced at a later date. No wonder people replace them as the standard provided are so thin you can hear conversations on the street from within.

Bottom line is they install the cheapest windows and don't expect the NHBC to remedy the windows due to their mode of thought.
Watch out for patio doors not being bolted into place properly this can cause a lot of draughts and could eventually lead to a rather nasty accident.