We have been having trouble with a window since we moved into our new-build house two years ago. We moved in during August 2006 when we had been having a hot summer (remember those far off hot days?). In about February 2007 we experienced the first N and or NW wind howling around my bedroom window - the result - an awful moaning noise that changed pitch with the strength of the wind - it was so loud I had to move out on windy nights. We could not find the cause. We padded the window opening with J-cloth - annoyingly the wind would go away and we would have to wait until the next N/NW wind to see the result of our labours. More moaning noises - we took out the little vents on top of the windows and filled them with newspaper - no luck. We rang the builders - they were not interested to find out the exact problem as they would have had to arrive on a day with the wind in the right direction - too much bother for them! I was getting cross because the spare room bed was uncomfortable - we bought a memory foam mattress cover for the bed - that was good for visitors as well as me!This problem carried on for a full year until I nagged Husband to really DO something about it! The result was we hired a cherry picker device (quite good value we thought) and our lovely next door neighbour who has a head for heights and building experience zoomed up to the window - luck was with us - it was a horrible cold windy day with the wind coming from the north. He could see nothing but raised himself above the window and lo and behold he discovered the window had not even been sealed in properly by the builders!!! The wind had been vibrating against a piece of waterproofing lining. Neighbour cheerfully sealed up the window and all was well - until last week. A familiar moan started again - oh no, not again.
I had a brilliant idea - I bought some blue-tack, hung out of the window and squashed it into the recess above the window. Silence was golden. This weekend we bribed Neighbour to scoot up his own long ladder and re-seal the window (the sealant had dried out). So really, we have to persuade our neighbour not to move house ever so that annually he can renew the sealant for us! Why oh why do not builders check their own work. I would have been fired from my job if I had made such basic mistakes.
7 comments:
That's so shoddy of the builders but well done for finding a solution, even if it does mean an annual bribe.
I love the brickwork of your house btw.
Ha! Love the idea of using blu tack!! Perhaps you should recomend it to the builders:)
Getting builders back to fix a fault of their making is nigh on impossible. Good job you have a good neighbour.
Thank goodness you found the cause of the problem, but what shoddy workmanship in the first place. If your house is only 2 years old, do you not have a guarantee that you could wave in front of the builder's nose.
Good old blu tack!
A x
Well done Lindsay! Things like that are so annoying and time consuming.
maintenance is never ending on a home is it? Glad you have found a solution to the problem though, before the onset of winter......
Good neighbours are worth their weight in gold in my opinion.
Gill in Canada
I wish I could start a campaign to get proper builders certification. I'm sure they exist already but don't seem to do the job. The worst thing is that the cowboy builders give the good ones a bad name. If your house is new - it should still be under a guarantee. It might not be what you think it is...when new houses are built...all the surfaces can change in the cold/heat whatever as they get used to being there in the first place. The builders then should carry out their "fixes". Maybe you could check your guarantee and get the original ones to come back to take a look? Or get an independent builder (recommended by a good neighbour) to advise you what to do? Just in case something happens to your wonderful neighbour....Hx
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