Leaky windows

[alanhass]

Hi all
Just wondering if people have trouble with windows in Thailand.
The situation is this. A friend of ours just built a new home (bungalow)and on the first storm all the windows and doors literally gushed in the rain. The place was flooded.
Also bugs get in even when closed through all the gaps. Called the windows supplier (local aluminium window maker) and his answer was the following list of excuses.

"The over hangs on the roof are to short so no protection". (Bullshit, how do you explain having no over hang on bottom windows of a two story house) are they going to cause a flood every rain season?

"You can't really have water proof seal on sliding windows and doors"
Bullshit I had sliding in Ireland and all were tight as a ducks arse.

"Because back door is two way it can't be tight and need gap all sides to move so nothing can do about leaks"
I couldn't even comment as I was to angry with that excuse.

My question is this,
Is this acceptable and reasonable under the "this is Thailand" excuse or are the windows just junk?
Do others here experience bad leaks when it rains?




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[Geko]

Hi alanhass

Looks like your friends have a bad problem, I've had similar problems but not a serious both with Aluminium window and sliding door.

The main problem with mine was there was not sufficient sealant between the frames and house structure, so try and pry open the frames and squeeze as much silicon sealant between frame and structure as you can from both outside and inside the house.

Also make sure that the frames have drain holes installed (and are not blocked) on the external side of the windows at the bottom so water buildup can drain away outside before building up and over-flowing into the house.

As for the two way door sure you can get flexible rubber seals from DYI shops in town that will short out the problem.

[NOKYAI]

Do your windows have a coving above them on the outside?

[alanhass]

Do your windows have a coving above them on the outside?

Do u mean like a soffit?
The roof and soffits over hang the windows by about 18 inches.


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[alanhass]

Hi alanhass

Looks like your friends have a bad problem, I've had similar problems but not a serious both with Aluminium window and sliding door.

The main problem with mine was there was not sufficient sealant between the frames and house structure, so try and pry open the frames and squeeze as much silicon sealant between frame and structure as you can from both outside and inside the house.

Also make sure that the frames have drain holes installed (and are not blocked) on the external side of the windows at the bottom so water buildup can drain away outside before building up and over-flowing into the house.

As for the two way door sure you can get flexible rubber seals from DYI shops in town that will short out the problem.

Most of the water is coming in the windows themselves not from under or around the frame where attached to concrete but from the gaps between the window and the internal frame.
With the sliding doors it's flowing in under the bottom of the frame attached to the concrete and also between the frame and the door.
Drain holes would definitely help so good suggestion and more silicone will help too but their are gaps where the two windows slide past each other that can't be filled and also gaps under the windows where the wheels slide.
I just don't see how any of those could be filled and still have functioning windows?

The swing doors to me just look to small for the frames



You can't see it from the picture but that gap at the top is almost as big the whole way around.


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[deepee]

If you examine the moving sections of the doors and windows you should see channels with "fur seals" fitted in them (kinda fluffy grey stuff). Look at the faces that rub against the frame tracks and each other.I found the night critters were coming in thru the unsealed sections of our windows. Bought a roll of fur seal from a glazier but it was a damn fiddly job to fit in situ.

[Name Taken]

I have similar style windows in my house but they don't leak too much only during a torrential downpour will the windows start to leak.
Thailand is really far behind the U.S. when it comes to windows and entrance doors. Our windows are basically a single pane of regular glass and almost of the homes in the U.S. are double pane windows with an inert gas in between the panes for insulation. I would say 90% of the homes in Thailand have only the single pane style glass windows.
I recently had to replace my old wooden front door with an aluminum door because the wooden front door was literally falling apart and I was having to literally glue the door back together.
It looks like the guy that installed your windows and doors just did a really sloppy job, and sloppy work/craftsmanship is not all that uncommon here in Thailand.
Well, maybe your friend could somehow collect all that water coming in to his house and put it in his water storage tank and then he would almost never have to worry about water shortage problems.

[KunKim]

Borrowing this thread quickly.
Can anyone recommend a professional glazier in Hua Hin? Especially for custom mirrors?

[J.J.B.]

Borrowing this thread quickly.
Can anyone recommend a professional glazier in Hua Hin? Especially for custom mirrors?

KunKim, the best option for such questions is to perform a search, it's got a good record in finding this type of information. I think Hua Hin Glass is going to be your best bet. The main contact is Joe and his English is very good. Huahinglass@hotmail.com