2 July 2026

When are your window frames due for replacement?

Draughts along the edges, condensation between the panes, windows that jam or rot in the bottom rail: the signs in a row — and when a glazing upgrade still suffices.

Window frames wear slowly and inconspicuously, until the signs pile up. Draughts along the edges mean the frame or seal no longer closes properly. Condensation between the panes — a permanently fogged window you cannot wipe clean — means the insulating unit has failed. Windows that jam or no longer close point to warped or moving material, and soft wood in the bottom rail is rot: that is where the profile stops carrying.

Not every sign immediately means new frames. If the frame itself is still sound but holds single or outdated double glazing, a glazing upgrade to HR++ or triple at € 100 to € 250 per m² often suffices — immediately less heat loss, less condensation on the inside and less noise. Minor early rot and bare paintwork are the painter's trade; have that touched up in time and the frame lasts years longer.

If the signs pile up — rot in several places, warped profiles, windows that no longer close — then patching on is money wasted and frame replacement is the honest route: € 500 to € 1,200 per frame in uPVC, € 700 to € 1,500 in wood, including installation and glazing. You then solve everything in one go: insulation, comfort, closure and maintenance.

Torn between repairing, upgrading the glazing or replacing? Request quotes and have the condition assessed on site: a good specialist tells you honestly what the frame is still worth. Set the proposals against the price index and choose on reasoning, not just on the amount.