Draughty Windows

A draughty window can make a room uncomfortable even when the heating is working normally. Before ordering new seals, locate the air path. A leak between the opening sash and its frame suggests a different repair from air entering beside the plaster reveal. Air moving down a cold pane can also feel like a draught without coming through a gap.

On a breezy day, move your hand slowly around the closed window, noting where the sensation is strongest. Keep away from moving hardware and do not lean outside. Record whether it happens at the hinge side, handle side, lower corner or frame-to-wall junction. A short video showing loose movement or a visible gap can help explain the symptoms.

Worn seals and uneven compression

Rubber gaskets need the correct shape and compression to seal effectively. Over time they may flatten, split, shrink at corners or pull out of their retaining groove. Dirt or paint on the contact surface can also prevent a sound gasket from bedding down. Check for obvious damage without stretching or pulling sections free.

Replacement seals must match the window system. A thicker generic strip is not necessarily an improvement: it may stop the sash closing properly, overload the handle or leave other areas under-compressed. Stick-on foam can disguise the location of a fault while introducing a new closing problem. Proper diagnosis checks both gasket condition and how evenly the sash meets it.

Dropped sashes, hinges and locking points

A sash that has dropped may scrape at its lower edge or need lifting before the handle turns. It can leave uneven gaps and prevent locking cams from pulling the opening tightly into the frame. The cause might involve hinge wear, loose fixings or the support of the glazing within the sash, so adjustment should follow an inspection rather than guesswork.

Worn or distorted friction hinges can leave a gap near the hinge corner even when the handle side looks closed. Tightening the lock harder will not necessarily pull that corner back into line. A repair may involve compatible replacement hinges, correct sash support or appropriate hardware adjustment. Forcing the handle risks adding a broken mechanism to the original air leak.

Poor original fitting and frame-edge leaks

If the draught comes from behind a trim or along the plaster, the opening seal may be innocent. Incomplete perimeter insulation, deteriorated external weather sealing or movement between the frame and opening can create an air route. A neat interior bead does not prove that the concealed joint is properly formed.

The frame also needs to sit square and remain securely fixed. Distortion from poor original fitting can affect how the sash closes, making repeated hinge adjustments ineffective. Where finishing materials conceal the joint, limited investigative work may be necessary. The aim is to address the route through the installation, not simply add another cosmetic layer over the room-side edge.

Why bays need a wider inspection

Bay windows have several frames, connecting joints and surrounding junctions, so a draught can travel before appearing indoors. Air may emerge beside a coupling, beneath a window board or near the bay ceiling even though the entry point is elsewhere. Note whether one opening is affected or the entire bay feels exposed.

An assessment should consider sash seals alongside frame connections, the bay base and the junction with the roof or wall above. Missing insulation around a bay can produce cold surfaces as well as air movement. Avoid treating every cold patch as evidence that all the bay’s glass units need replacing; the location and behaviour of the problem guide the repair.

Misted units and cold glass are different faults

A failed sealed glass unit usually shows condensation between its panes. That means the unit’s edge seal has lost integrity, but it does not necessarily create an outdoor draught into the room. The frame gaskets and installation joints provide separate barriers. Replacing misted glass may be appropriate without explaining or resolving air entering at a hinge.

Similarly, indoor air can cool against glass and descend, creating a chilly sensation. If no leak is found, consider glass temperature, heating distribution and room humidity. Keep intentional background vents available and never use a naked flame to search for air movement. A useful repair recommendation names the defective component and explains why it matches the symptoms before proposing work.