Why window maintenance is worth the effort – By double glazing Edinburgh experts
A well-made uPVC window has a lifespan of 25 years or more, and the frame will usually outlast everything bolted to it.
The hardware goes first. Hinges stiffen, locks start to grind, and the rubber gasket around the glass hardens until it lets cold air in and warm air out.
None of that happens overnight, so it’s easy to miss.
A window that closes a little less tightly than it did last winter still closes, but the insulation you paid for depends on the sash pulling hard against the seal.
A stiff hinge or a hardened gasket stops that happening, and your energy efficiency slips a little each winter without a single obvious fault to point at.
Regular maintenance keeps the locks doing their job too.
And you’ll notice a failed sealed unit or a cracked pane while it’s still a small repair, rather than a reason for new windows.
Cleaning the glass and window frames
Nearly all of the cleaning gets done with warm soapy water, a soft cloth for the frames and a squeegee for the glass.
Clean frames first, then the glass, working from the top down so the drips land on panes of glass you haven’t reached yet.
Bright sun dries the water before you’ve wiped it off and leaves streaks across every pane, so pick a dull day if you can, which in Scotland is rarely a problem.
Frame cleaning products to avoid
Never use scourers, scrapers or a solvent like white spirit on uPVC windows (and composite windows).
The frames have a finish on them, and once that’s scratched or dulled there’s no getting it back.
Plain white frames will take a specialist uPVC cleaner for stubborn marks, though on a woodgrain or coloured foil you’re safer sticking with the soapy water.
Don’t reach for a tin of gloss when the frames dull, either.
Ordinary paint doesn’t bond to uPVC, and it’ll be flaking within a couple of winters.
Clearing the drainage holes
While the bucket’s out, poke a cocktail stick along the small drainage slots on the bottom of the outer frame.
Dust and dirt block them, rainwater then pools inside the frame instead of running out, and you end up with mould on the sill and water indoors.
Keeping hinges, locks and handles moving
Lubricate every moving part on a window twice a year.
The window hinges are the easiest to miss, because they sit inside the frame where you can’t see them with the window shut.
Open the window fully and wipe the friction stays (the flat metal arms the sash swings on) with a dry cloth to lift the grit.
Then run light machine oil or silicone spray along the joints and open and close the window a few times to work it in.
Locks, handles and restrictors
Do the same on the lock keeps and handle spindle, and if you’ve got a restrictor fitted for the kids, check it still catches and releases cleanly.
Keep penetrating sprays away from the lock itself.
They’re designed to wash grease out, and a multipoint lock needs that grease to throw its bolts smoothly.
When a window drops or sticks
A window that’s started to drop, so you need to lift the handle side to close or lock it, usually needs its hinges adjusted rather than replaced.
Most friction stays have a small screw for exactly that.
Inspecting seals and gaskets
The rubber gasket between the glass and the frame, and the weather seal the sash closes against, are what keep the wind out. These both harden with age and sunlight.
Run a finger along them while the window’s open. They should feel soft and spring back.
Any stretch that’s gone hard, cracked or pulled away at a corner is letting a draught through.
Wipe them with a damp cloth when you clean the frames, keep oil and solvent off them, and they’ll last a long time.
Condensation, misting and what each one means
Condensation on the room side of the glass
Condensation may look like a window fault, but on the room side of the glass it’s just moisture in the air landing on the coldest surface it can find.
In a Scottish winter, with the heating on and the windows shut, that’s the glass.
Wipe it off before it runs into the seals and feeds mould, then deal with the moisture at the source.
Open the trickle vents, run the extractor when you shower, and dry the washing somewhere other than the radiator under the window.
Mist between the panes
Mist present between the two panes of glass is a different thing altogether. This means the sealed unit has failed, the gas fill has escaped and moist air has got in.
No amount of wiping will shift it.
The frame is usually fine when this happens.
Misted double glazed units need a sealed unit replacement, which is a glazier’s job and a fraction of the cost of a new window.
Make sure to trust a qualified supplier for proper installation.
Patio doors, bifolds and conservatories
A sliding patio door puts more weight on its rollers than a window puts on its hinges, and the track collects grit all year.
Vacuum the track out, wipe it down and give the rollers a little silicone spray, since oil gathers dust.
Bifolds run on a track too, and the hinges between the leaves take the strain every time the whole set gets folded back.
Give them the same twice-yearly oil as the rest of the doors and windows.
Check the door lock throws fully into its keeps too.
A bifold that’s dropped even a few millimetres starts catching on the threshold. When this happens, it needs a professional installer to adjust it.
Conservatory glazing is the same glass and frame as the windows, so the same routine applies.
Don’t forget to clear the roof gutter each autumn, because a blocked gutter sends water straight down the frames and past the seals.
A seasonal window care routine for Scottish weather
Two rounds a year is plenty for most homes, one before the heating goes on and one once the worst of the weather has passed.
Autumn, before the heating goes on
Do the first round in early autumn, and make it the full job.
Wash the frames, oil the hinges, check the seals and clear the drainage slots, then check the gutters above the windows aren’t blocked.
An overflowing gutter runs down the wall and behind the frames all winter.
Spring and summer
The spring round is lighter, since autumn took care of the hardware, so it’s mostly a wash.
South-facing glass is worth doing again in high summer, when pollen and traffic film build up fastest.
If you leave windows open on the restrictor for ventilation through the warmer months, check the arm still locks and releases properly.
Have a look at the gaskets on the sunny side of the house too, because sunlight ages rubber faster than rain does.
Coastal homes, in Ayr or Aberdeen say, get a salt film that dulls frames and corrodes hardware faster.
A rinse with plain water every couple of months between the main rounds is worth the effort.
When it’s time to call a local window company
Some faults on a window or door are past what care can fix. A misted unit has failed and wants replacing, and cracked glass is a glazier’s job.
A lock that won’t engage after oiling, or a hinge that’s snapped, needs the part swapped. Any local window and door repair service can do that, provided the hardware is still made.
Past 15 years or so, matching hardware gets hard to find, and double glazing repairs start costing more than they’re worth.
When the frames are 25 years old, the gaskets have shrunk and every winter the bills creep up, it’s time to get a price for new windows.
Modern double or triple-glazed windows are a long way ahead of anything fitted in the nineties.
Our triple glazing reaches a whole-window U-value of 0.8 W/m²K, and the lower that number, the less heat gets out.
Every window comes with a 15-year guarantee and 0% finance.
Window care FAQs
How often should window hinges and locks be lubricated?
Every six months is about right for lubrication in most homes, so it lines up with the autumn and spring cleans. Windows that face the sea or a busy road can take a third round, since salt and grime get into the moving parts faster.
Will a hair dryer get rid of condensation between the panes?
A hair dryer won’t touch it, because the moisture is sealed between the panes and warming the outside only shifts it for an hour or so. A sealed unit replacement is the only real fix.
Do different window frame materials need different care?
Wooden frames need the most, because the timber has to be kept under a sound paint or stain finish or it rots from the bottom rail up. uPVC windows need next to nothing on the frame itself, so the effort goes into the hardware and the seals.
Can window care improve energy efficiency?
Window care protects the efficiency you paid for. A double glazed unit only does its job when the window closes fully and the gaskets still seal the gap, so keep the hinges oiled and the rubber clean. Oiling and cleaning won’t bring back a window that’s already worn out.
How do I care for old windows?
Older uPVC, 20 years and up, gets the same routine with a closer eye on the gaskets, which will have shrunk back from the corners, and hinges that may want adjusting yearly. Once units start misting one after another, put the repair money towards new windows instead.
If care isn’t cutting it, book a free survey
If you’ve oiled the hinges, cleared the slots and the windows are still draughty, misting or refusing to lock, the next step is to have someone look at them properly.
We’ve been at this since 1988, and a free home survey will tell you whether a repair or a replacement is the sensible spend, with no pressure either way. If we fitted them and they’re inside the 15-year guarantee, ring us before anyone else.
Call 0131 370 0444, book your free survey online, or drop into our Glasgow showroom and one of our team members will be happy to assist.
