How To Stop Upvc Windows From Expanding
All uPVC doors and windows react to higher temperatures more dramatically in comparison to other materials, such as wood and metal. When exposed to these high temperatures, you might notice that your uPVC doors and uPVC windows become stiffer, which may cause great difficulty when opening and closing. This is usually because of the uPVC expanding due to the extreme heat.
However, this expansion caused by the intense heat does not ultimately mean that your uPVC windows or uPVC doors are actually going to break, in fact, it is perfectly normal for this type of material to react in this way. Once the temperature begins to drop, your windows and doors will return to their original shape and size.
What Is Upvc?
uPVC stands for Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. It is often used for building materials due to its pretty robust properties. Not only is uPVC very durable, tough, and low maintenance, but it’s also a really lightweight material which makes it a very desirable material for many home improvement products. Also, uPVC can stand up against various harsh weather conditions, such as snow, rain, wind and the sun. However, this material can cause issues during the heat of the peak summer months due to the high temperatures.
Preventing The Upvc Heat-Expansion
If your uPVC windows have indeed expanded or swelled up because of high temperatures, then you could find that opening your windows or closing them can be more difficult, especially for darker coloured uPVC windows. However, reducing this heat expansion is very simple. If you can’t wait for the uPVC to return to its original shape by itself, then there are a few ways in which you can help to reduce the expansion.
- You can cool down the uPVC window frame yourself by spraying the outside with cool water or by patting the window frame down with a cool, damp cloth. By applying cold water to the outside of the uPVC frame, the material should start to retract much quicker.
- For uPVC doors, there is a simple fix but it may cause problems once the door has cooled down. uPVC doors have metal hinges which can be adjusted to make expanded doors easier to close and open. However, the issue is that once the door returns to its normal shape, you may could that the adjusted hinge could cause slight difficulties.
If you have any further issues and do need a UPVC Door repair, you should only use a local professional.