DIY repair, adjustment and maintenance of plastic PVC windows

Recommendation points

• PVC window handle repair
• Glass unit repair
• Replacing the seal
• Adjustment of plastic windows
• Caring for plastic windows

Any owner can repair, adjust and maintain the performance of a plastic window. The time for self-repair or maintenance is spent no more than half an hour, but you will always be sure of the reliable operation of all plastic window mechanisms.

Modern PVC windows are a high-tech and reliable design, but they also need regular maintenance and preventive maintenance, especially the complex design of the fittings, which ensures the movement of the swing sashes. Any modern windows have vulnerabilities, regardless of the manufacturer.

In order to understand the basic principles of adjusting, repairing and caring for PVC windows, we will consider the most common breakdowns that can be eliminated by hand without calling a master.

PVC window handle repair

The most common is the breakage of the handle of the sash closing-opening mechanism. In most cases, for inexpensive models that make up 90% of the “park” of windows installed in Russia, this piece of accessories is also made of plastic.

It is the handle that experiences the most significant and frequent physical exertion when opening a window. With a normally adjusted closing mechanism and the pressing force of the window sash in winter-summer modes, as well as the geometry of the window frame is not disturbed, it is quite difficult to break the window handle. But if the window sags or moisture gets between the sealing rubber and the PVC frame in winter, the window can either jam or freeze. In this case, an attempt to open it by force will inevitably lead to a breakage of the handle..

Fortunately, window handle repairs are one of the simplest types of repairs. It is enough to turn the decorative strip at the base of the window handle 90 ° to see two self-tapping screws fixing the handle to the PVC profile. Having unscrewed the screws, the broken handle is removed along with the square rod on which it is fixed, a new handle is inserted into the vacant space.

It is advisable to pry the decorative overlay with a wide spatula or a plastic card, but not with an ordinary slotted screwdriver, since you can leave quite noticeable burrs and deformations on the edge of the part, nevertheless, plastic is a very soft material.

Advice! In order not to be mistaken with the length of the rod on which the handle is mounted, remove the broken handle from the window and use it as a reference when buying a new handle, showing it to sales consultants.

Glass unit repair

Broken glass significantly reduces the heat and sound insulation properties of the window, and gives it an unaesthetic appearance. In this case, the entire broken glass unit should be replaced, since its value primarily lies in the presence of a sealed chamber between the glasses and they can be assembled only under factory conditions..

To take the exact dimensions and order a new glass unit, it is necessary to remove the glazing beads (plastic strips) holding the glass unit in the frame. For removal, use a plastic spatula and a rubber mallet so as not to leave marks on the plastic. Glazing bead removal procedure:

• left / right;
• lower;
• upper.

The removed glazing beads must be laid out in the order in which they were removed, or marked with a simple pencil so as not to be confused during reassembly. After removing the glazing beads, the damaged glass block is removed. It is quite heavy, and if glass fragments are broken and sticking out, then you should work with construction gloves so as not to cut yourself. After dismantling the unit, plastic spacers-bridges may fall out, they should not be thrown away. They will be needed when installing a new glass unit..

To protect yourself from dangerous fragments, even before starting work, it is enough to seal all cracks and chips with tape so that they do not crumble or stick out of the glass unit. Ideally, you should use special vacuum suction cups that can be rented from many hardware stores..

The window frame freed from the broken glass unit is thoroughly washed around the perimeter with warm water and detergent and dried.

The new glass unit is inserted in a mirror-like manner opposite to the process of dismantling the broken glass unit. First, install the bottom edge into the frame. Then the whole glass unit is completely inserted. If necessary, install spacers-bridges in the places where they were installed earlier. After that, the glazing beads snap into place: top, bottom, right, left.

This completes the replacement (repair) of the broken glass. Replacement time – 25-30 minutes.

Replacing the seal

A cracked or damaged seal is replaced when the sash is removed. First, the window hinges are freed from the decorative caps. The hinge rod is pulled down from the upper hinge using pliers. After that, the window sash slightly tilts towards itself and rises.

The window sash is laid on a horizontal surface and the damaged seal is removed from the groove. The groove is thoroughly washed and, after drying, is lubricated with technical vaseline or silicone grease.

The new seal is cut to the length of the groove with a margin of 20 mm. The sealant is lubricated with petroleum jelly (silicone) and inserted into the edge of the groove. After that, it is carefully pulled along the entire length of the groove, holding the end with pliers. The ends of the seal are trimmed with a sharp knife so that they overlap each other – vertical and horizontal. The edges of the seal are degreased with gasoline and fixed with silicone sealant.

The sash is installed in place in the reverse order: first, the lower hinge is put on the stem, then the upper stem is hammered. After installation, the sash position and the degree of pressure must be adjusted..

Adjustment of plastic windows

During operation, plastic windows are susceptible to sagging under their own weight and due to the weakening of the movable joints of the fittings. To prevent possible jamming or difficulty in closing, it is necessary to timely adjust the position of the window sash relative to the window frame.

The simplest way to check the correct geometry of the casement relative to the frame is to apply a level to the top and side edge of the casement. It is necessary to check the accuracy of setting the sash in three positions: closed, open at 45 ° and 90 °. Adjustment is required in case of deviation in any of the indicated positions.

To adjust, you will need a screwdriver with interchangeable bits – “plane-cross” and a set of hexagonal L-shaped keys.

The adjusting knots are located in the lower and upper hinges. To open them, you need to remove the decorative plastic caps by pulling up or down along the hinge. In addition, in the presence of a fanlight mechanism for opening the sash for ventilation, there is an adjusting bolt on the “scissors” located on top, with which the sash tilt is additionally adjusted.

It is not difficult to adjust the loop. The design of all adjustable hinges provides for the possibility of their slight displacement (by a few millimeters) in three directions: vertical, horizontal and frontal.

If we are talking about a skewed window, then it is necessary to adjust the horizontal offset, (the adjusting bolt is located on the hinge on the side).

If the window begins to close poorly and clings to the bottom edge of the window sill, then you should adjust it in the vertical direction – raise it (the adjusting bolts are on top).

Adjustment of the clamping force of the PVC window is carried out in two modes: “winter-summer”. Depending on the design of the locking mechanism, the regulating element can be oval eccentrics displaced in the vertical direction:

• up – the clamping force increases – for the winter;
• down – the clamping force decreases – for the summer.

Some designs use a pivot bolt instead of an eccentric with an arrow pointing to the appropriate symbols (+/-). It is important to achieve the installation of the sash and eccentrics so that the pressure along the entire perimeter of the sash is uniform, which can be seen from the condition and thickness of the seal. To check the clamping force, it is enough when closing the sash to put a sheet of paper under the seal in various places and then try to get it out.

Caring for plastic windows

PVC structures are quite reliable and designed for a long service life. However, with frequent use, rubbing metal surfaces can begin to squeak as a result of wear and tear. To do this, it is necessary at least once a year to carry out preventive cleaning of the fittings – hinges and clamping bars from accumulated dust and lubricate them with polymer lubricants intended for domestic use. The use of liquid mineral oil is not recommended. It does not adhere well to vertical surfaces and flows quickly.

The amount of lubricant applied should be kept to a minimum so as not to provoke dust accumulation.

An effective way to care for the surface of the PVC profile and glass is regular cleaning with window cleaning products.

Most of the manipulations associated with the repair and adjustment of plastic windows can be done by hand. It doesn’t require any rare tools or a lot of experience. But if a breakdown has occurred inside the locking mechanism or the PVC profile has undergone destruction, you cannot do without the involvement of a specialist.