Pilkington, sealed units and two kinds of window
Pilkington is a British glassmaker. Glazing factories build sealed units for specific windows from its glass. The brand doesn’t change how the glass gets replaced; the window does.
In a PVC window the unit sits on packers, glazing beads hold it in, and gaskets make it airtight. The tradesperson levers off the beads, takes out the old unit, fits a new one of the same thickness and wedges it so the sash doesn’t sag. If the beads are intact, they go straight back on.
In a timber window the glass often sits in sealant, and the beads are nailed or screwed on. The old compound has to come off completely, the new unit goes into fresh sealant, and outside the joint is shaped so water runs off the glass instead of sitting on it. A sloppy joint lets water under the bead within a few years, and then the timber starts to rot. So the sealant is chosen to suit both wood and glass.
Rather hand the job over? More here: handyman in Warsaw.
What usually goes wrong
- Bathroom silicone on the outer joint of a timber window. It doesn’t grip wood well and soon comes away.
- A new unit bedded on leftovers of the old compound. It leaks from the first rain.
- Beads snapped during removal and glued back in.
- A unit fitted without packers. Over time the sash drops and rubs the frame.
Before the visit
- A photo of the window and a close-up of the beads, so it’s clear how they’re fixed.
- A photo of the crack and, if visible, the printing on the spacer.
- The cracked pane taped on both sides.
Booking
Say in the app whether the window is timber or PVC, and add the photos. Tradespeople send offers at their own price; there are usually two visits, since units are made to size. Pick one by rating and reviews, and contacts and address open up after you choose. The unit and sealant are charged separately from the labour; you pay the tradesperson directly and they issue the invoice.
Order in the app
Describe the job, add photos and the address. Tradespeople send their own prices and dates, and you pick one of the offers.
Open the appThe tradesperson answers for their own glazing and will redo it if it leaks. Rotten timber or a twisted frame they didn’t repair isn’t on them.
