Double Glazing Spares
Most people that make an investment in their home want to ensure that their particular investment lasts as long as possible. That is why we take good care of our leather sofa, make sure we clean the kitchen from time to time and treat our double glazing windows as precious belongings.
Unfortunately, even the most carefully treated appliance or investment can break – accidents will happen even in the best regulated families.
Finding Replacement Catches for your double glazing
It does not necessarily have to be an accident that leads to you needing something repaired or replaced, everything has a lifespan after all.
Unfortunately, uPVC double glazing is no different. But luckily there are options in case something should break, it is just a matter of knowing where to look, how to find a replacement part and how to fix it.
The first thing to note is that you CAN replace a handle or lock should one of them break. Some people are concerned that they may have to replace the whole window including the frame to get it repaired.
This is not true with the handle or the lock, these are not only replaceable but are fairly easy to replace if you are a bit handy and can follow the instructions that come with the replacement part.
The first thing to do is to identify who manufactured the lock or handle. Often the name of the manufacturer can be found on the ‘lock strip’ (this is a small strip of metal) that covers the lock. You can identify this when the window is actually open. The handles they may have other identifying marks that indicate who manufactured them.
People often ask if there are specific advantages when it comes to repairing or maintaining frames made out of wood, aluminium or uPVC. Truth is that there are benefits and drawbacks to each of these.
For example, while wood may have been the traditional material of choice it does require plenty of maintenance to keep it looking nice. Should it be damaged the owner might be looking at a hearty investment for repairs everything. Even though it has become much cheaper in recent years, the cost can still be considered quite high.
Aluminium can be scratched, dented and is generally known to be the more fragile. Benefits here are that replacements are generally easily accessible.
On a practical level though, it is not possible to improve or repair the basic uPVC frame as it exists today. The designs supplied by the manufacturer are rigid, and once complete, cannot be altered. So should the frame itself become damaged, there is no way to repair it and the only way to fix this would be to replace it entirely.
What if something was to break and you want to ensure that repairs are underway quickly? Depending on how handy you are, there are plenty of options as to where to get fittings and other spare parts. However, with so many manufacturing companies on the market, it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to determine which company manufactured the product you are trying to replace.
There is nothing more frustrating with purchasing a replacement, only to find out that it does not fit. This is why it is vital to know which manufacturer you are buying from. With some parts, just a small letter or a number can make the difference between finding the replacement part that works wonders, or being left with something you wish you had not spent your money on, and cannot possibly use.
Order your double glazing spares on the Internet
With the introduction of the Internet, there are specific websites that will even allow you to upload a picture of a particular component and they will swiftly identify it for you – they of course do this hoping that you will actually purchase the specific part from them.
There are now plenty of ways you can order whatever you might need from any part of the country and have it delivered to your door within a day or so. While this may have eliminated the direct need to drive to a do-it-yourself shop, for some it might still be worth visiting the shop itself because often the shopkeeper can provide valuable advice.
Another option is to go to the installers themselves or give them a ring – not only are they likely to know what brand your items are, they may even stock them.
Of course, if you are uncomfortable performing the repairs yourself and do not happen to have someone around who would be able to do them for you, you can always contact the company that originally installed the product to see if they can either perform repairs or come and install a new window entirely.
Recently more and more people have had their first generation uPVC double glaze frames replaced – on average these are expected to last anywhere between 15 and 20 years. It is important to note that if you purchased the first generation uPVC double glaze frames, making changes or repairs may add a few more years to your double glazed window, but in all likelihood, you are looking at an eventual replacement. Perhaps, if your windows are nearing the end of their life, replacement might be a better alternative to repair.
