There are many elements that affect the quality of your windows and doors. The material you choose will be one of the quintessential elements. Choose a poor quality material and you will regret it soon. You need to choose the right type and style. You cannot experiment with any of the physical features. Be sure of what you want and choose the best in every department. There are many natural elements that are beyond human control. Sunlight, wind, rain, snow, moisture or humidity, mud and grime, dust and dirt are just some of the many threats. Then there is mold and mildew.
The natural elements are always factored in while choosing the type of windows and doors as well as the materials. Even after you choose the best material and the most suitable type of windows and doors for your house, there are quite a few things that can go wrong. Some of these pertain to the preparation, a few are related to customization and the others arise out of flawed installation. Here are some of these common elements that affect the quality of your windows and doors.
Measurement
Measurement is one of the most important factors. Let us presume that you have chosen the best windows and doors given the climate, the type of property you have and the budget you had pre-set. If the measurement is not perfect, then your windows and doors would be far from perfection. Everything will go wrong if the measurement is off by even a millimeter. The insulation in a room will go for a toss if the window doesn’t fit perfectly. If a door is larger or smaller than the space available in the frame which is fitted into the opening, then the insulation of the entire property is going to get compromised. If there is any problem with the measurement, that would lead to improperly sized windows and doors. Your installer will make adjustments and this would lead to many compromises. This may seem to be a more pertinent issue with custom doors and windows. While customization does have its share of challenges, the problem with measurement is also common for standard styles of windows and doors.
Positioning
Doors and windows should not be replaced before the new ones are ready and the measurement is crosschecked. It is at times easier to adjust the doors and windows that work on the opening. Adjusting the opening can be a complicated exercise and it may turn out to be very expensive. Adjustment is necessary because otherwise there will be a problem with the positioning of a door or window. Positioning is one of the common elements that affect the quality of your windows and doors. The positioning is basically the exact alignment of the fixture in regards to the opening. Every opening, be it for doors or windows, will have more than enough space for the fixture. Now, the window or the door may be installed slightly inside or towards the outside. It can also be perfectly fit midway in the space allowed by the opening. This positioning is important because it would influence insulation, security and durability of the windows and doors. The closer they are towards the room, the more insulated they would be and hence there would be less frosting and ice buildup. If the doors and particularly windows are further away from the inside of the wall or opening, then it is more exposed to the weather extremes. This may compromise the longevity of the entire installation.
Absolutely Upright Installation
Windows and doors must be perfectly aligned. They should be perfectly horizontal and vertical, thereby leading to an absolutely upright installation. It does not matter what shape your windows or doors are. The material, style, design and additional features do not matter. Unless the fixture is absolutely upright, it would not operate properly and there would be many problems, mostly sooner than later. Doors and windows get jammed, they don’t operate properly and there are gaps primarily because the alignment is compromised. Old doors and windows that are worn out or substantially damaged can have many problems but relatively new ones should not have any jamming or gaping seams. These issues happen if the door or window is not perfectly horizontal, vertical and upright. This is often referred to as the level, plumb and square.
Shimming
Anchorage is another pivotal element. This whole process of getting the anchorage right is referred to as shimming. Correct shimming has to be a priority at the time of installation. The process involves anchoring the entire door or window in an impeccable way. The screws where the doors and windows would be fitted into the frame should be in exact positions where they must be and every component of the whole anchorage system must be in perfect synergy. Otherwise, there can be structural anomalies compromising the integrity of the whole fixture.