Defects in Aluminum Windows and Impact on Dust and Air Infiltration

Abstract

The air infiltration rate for 154 windows installed in 25 buildings was obtained by a field test. Visual inspection identified the causes and sources of air leakage and operation difficulty in the sample. The frequency and impact of visible defects that cause air infiltration in the windows were determined. Windows with no visible defects produced air leakage 46% lower than the mean value. Double‐sliding windows leaked mostly from corners and gaps above the sash, whereas vertical‐hinge windows leaked from the joint between the sash and the frame. Operation difficulty seemed to increase air infiltration rates for double‐sliding and vertical‐hinge windows. The visual assessment of weather strips was useful for predicting window performance. Although sliding windows in Kuwait suffer from design defects, fabrication defects were the principal contributors to performance degradation. In vertical‐hinge windows, design and fabrication defects were the most common, with the former being more detrimental. In general, installation and maintenance defects in windows were less influential than fabrication defects, with design defects being the least detrimental. To assess the impact of minor repairs on windows performance, the air infiltration test was repeated on 11 windows after installing missing weather strips and hardware. The air infiltration rate was improved by 10‐30%.