How to avoid expanding doors and windows

As with the majority of materials, uPVC expands and contracts slightly in more intense weather conditions. You may find that in extreme warm and cold weather, your windows and doors are becoming stiff and not opening and closing correctly. 

 According to engineeringtoolbox.com, at 40ºC your uPVC can expand by up to 2.4cm, which is likely to affect regular use. uPVC is known to expand in the heat. This is a perfectly natural element of the material and absolutely nothing to be concerned about but it can cause temporary problems and difficulty with opening your windows and doors. HOW CAN YOU PREVENT uPVC HEAT-EXPANSION Should you need to intervene, you can cool down your uPVC doors/windows by spraying the outside with water, or by patting it down with a cold, damp cloth. This will help the material to shrink back down to size so that it’s once again within its normal working parameters.We ensure that all our uPVC products have had extensive testing so that they can work within normal temperature ranges. Of course, with temperatures as they are at the moment, you may find that this is now an issue.Should you only experience these problems in extreme temperatures, you do not need to make adjustments, as this will only cause you further issues down the line. If the issues with your uPVC products do not rectify themselves once the temperature drops, we can assist with repairs, replacements and advice. We advise that you never attempt to heat up the uPVC if it is very cold as in extreme cases this may cause it to crack. Still have questions about uPVC windows and doors? Contact us today – the DDG team are happy to help!