Is it normal for uPVC to expand in the heat?
The quick answer is yes. However, with the right understanding and a bit of care uPVC, is still a cost-effective, reliable option for homeowners. If you want to know a bit more about uPVC expansion, read on.
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 more difficult to open and close than normal.
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, closing or locking your windows and doors.
What to do if you experience these problems
Should you need to intervene, you can cool down your uPVC doors/windows by spraying the outside with water, by patting it down with a cold, damp cloth or placing a fan on the problem area. This will help the material to shrink back down to size so that it’s once again within its normal working parameters.
Normally as the air temperature cools in the evenings or overnight the material will shrink back on its own.
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, we 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 our customers, under our 10 year after sales service.