Silver Saints Handyman Service - Draught Proofing Windows

By Author: Samantha Dale
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Silver Saints is a premier handyman service in the London area. It consists of a highly qualified professional team of handyman with diverse backgrounds and skills. The team travels the London area on motorcycles - this avoids time spent parking and allows them to concentrate on the jobs they need to complete. Silver Saints Handyman Service is well known and highly regarded by Londoners as a reliable, efficient, and trustworthy service.
One of the many fine services that Silver Saints offers is draft proofing of sash windows. Let's take a look at what is involved in this process and what Silver Saints offers in the way of work in this area.

Window Draughts

Draught proofing sash windows is an indispensable part of making sure your house is energy efficient. Window draughts occur when there are gaps or spaces in a window. These spaces are mainly found between the sashes and the window frame itself. The only exception to this would be when there are holes in the sashes or other parts of the windows themselves.
For the most part, gaps are created simply because sashes (the parts of the window that slide ...
... up and down) are moving parts and do not always seal absolutely tightly to the frame. Sash window drafts are cold air currents that enter the house through gaps. These are expensive because the central heating system needs to put out more heat in order to maintain the desired indoor temperature. So it is important to seal any sash window draught that is found.
In addition to this, age causes wood to disintegrate and crumble, and this can also affect the way window sashes fit to a window frame.

The Solution

The solution to this problem is to use various materials to block or seal the gaps and spaces. These usually run the length of sashes because there may be draughts running all along its length. The weather stripping or weather proofing material is affixed in various ways to the sashes or frame to prevent cold air from entering the house.

The Silver Saints Method

The Silver Saints method of draught proofing sash windows has several steps to it. These steps insure that the job they do on the windows is complete and effective. They are as follows:

Lower Seal Installation

First the Silver Saints handymen remove the lower sash of the window. They then cut a slot into the part of the window called the meeting rail. This is where the back of the sash meets the bottom of the upper sash. They put what is called a brush pile seal (basically a long sealing piece that has brush like fibers) into the slot, reinstall the sash, and make sure it closes well and forms a good seal with the upper sash.

Parting Bead Draught Proofing

The parting bead (called window stop in the US) is the central strip of wood along which the windows slide and which keeps them apart. Since the sashes meet this as well, it needs to be draught proofed. When the lower sash is out these beads are replaced with ones that already contain brush style window seals.

Top and Bottom Rail Seals and Window Reassembly

The final step in the sash window draft sealing process is to install seals on the top and bottom rails and then reassemble the window. So the window is reassembled, this is done, and the job is complete. Incidentally, if the sash cords need replacement as well, this can also be done during the job and included in the price.

Silver Saints will put your sash windows into well functioning, warm, and economical shape. If you want to save money on heating costs this winter, check out Silver Saints Handyman Service and have them take a look at your windows. They will find and repair your sash window drafts which will stand you in good stead for the cold winter months.

Do you have a sash window draught? At SilverSaints, we employ the most experienced handymen in London, all undertake plumbing, electics, fixing, fitting and draught proofing sash windows. http://www.silversaints.com/WhatJobsWeDo/DraughtProofingWindows.aspx