Reduce cold spots in your home with new double glazing
Central heating makes a huge difference to the comfort we feel in our homes, and during the recent chilly summer weather, a few of us have turned our radiators back on. Rain or shine, you can always trust the heating to take the edge off the cold and make your home more welcoming.
Despite all our best efforts, homeowners occasionally find that certain areas of the room are cooler than others. These ‘cold spots’ tend to occur in corners, or under windows, and can suggest a problem with the installation or quality of windows or doors.
Locating a Cold Spot
Cold spots are more than just draughts, although draughts certainly contribute to feeling chilly. Often, the cold spot is caused by air being drawn out through a gap that you can’t see. This is a much more sneaky problem than a visible gap under the door; the source is difficult to locate, and often, more complicated to eradicate.
One way to test for the source of a cold spot is to use something that emits smoke (not necessarily a cigarette, unless you’re a smoker!). Hold it in the cool area to see if the smoke is sucked in a particular direction. An incense stick placed on the window sill can give you some useful clues; you may be able to blow out a match and watch which way the smoke dissipates.
Closing the Gaps
Cold spots are sometimes a sign of poor installation. A gap between the window and the wall is an obvious energy efficiency problem, and it could also compromise your noise proofing so you’re more bothered by the traffic outside. We talked about the noise pollution from air traffic in a previous blog, the same problems arise from traffic noise too.
Often, poor quality windows can twist or expand, and over time, that can cause gaps to appear. You might also have trouble closing or opening the windows, which can cause further problems with draughts, home security and even fire safety.
If this has happened to your windows, we recommend that you have the damaged ones replaced with new. Gaps around windows are a reminder to always pay professional installers, as mistakes can be catastrophic and costly. For the best thermal efficiency, don’t economise by trying to do the job yourself; you’ll only pay more in the long run.
Expert Site Surveys
If left to get worse, a cold spot can quickly become damp and mouldy; it only takes one bad winter for the rot to set in, quite literally. This can be a health hazard for your family, and will eventually cause damp issues that are complex and costly to fix. Mould is created because moisture condenses on the walls – a sure fire sign that your walls are cooler than the air. We always recommend replacing old double glazing as the quality of the air-flow in old units may be compromised which can lead to mould and health problems.
Our team can help locate any small weaknesses that can lead to cold spots in your home. If you can hear road noise through a window frame, we’ll visit and tell you how bad the problem is. If we find damage to the windows, or poor installation causing cold spots, we will give you a list of options, including repair or replacement window quotes.
