Insulate old vinyl windows?


  #1  
Old 11-30-16, 06:44 AM
T
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Insulate old vinyl windows?

Hello, please advice...
I moved to a new apartment, it's perfect but for the windows: they are on;y maybe 15 years old but they were the worst quality, plastic with an aluminium lining on the exterior, all around where the frame connects to the wall there is a gap between 2 and 7 (!) mm, and when you push the window it actually arches and a hole appears on the upper side where it doesn't meet with the wall anymore. There is air coming in: from where the frame meets the wall, in the frame itself there are holes from screws missing and air comes in, air doesn't come through the actual frame but cold does because the frame is just a little piece of plastic and several windows don't close properly even if the lining? is that the name? is not very old and still ok.

The landlord doesn't want to do anything and I cannot change the windows. Where i live (germany) storm windows seem to be virtually unknown.
What can I do? normal winter proofing with the adhesive slip is really useless when you have 6 mm gap all around the frame, also it's one of those new double glaze windows where you are not supposed to put the adhesive...
For a moment I dreamed of building a wooden frame with insulation underneath to cover the plastic frame, but I don't know if that is feasible and what else to do. Please advice...
 
  #2  
Old 11-30-16, 06:57 AM
J
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Got a picture?
Why not just replace the missing screws, use some low expanding foam, then a bead of latex caulking?
Those window films with the double faced tape are attached to the window casing (trim), not the window it's self.
 
  #3  
Old 11-30-16, 09:08 AM
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Gaps that small get caulked. Caulked inside and out. I would assume in 15 yrs it has never been inspected and recaulked.
 
  #4  
Old 11-30-16, 05:18 PM
J
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Even 6 MM is almost 1/4" really want to be counting on just caulking?
Really need that picture.
Somethings really wrong to have that big a gap, no extension jambs come to mind.
 
 

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