Topic: Window / balcony door does not latch or is not sealed properly

Good morning,

since no one can help me with my roof, maybe there are a few good tips regarding old double-glazed wooden windows.

How often do I have to sand and paint them? Every 5 years? Annually?

Is it enough to roughen them up briefly and then repaint, or do I first have to sand off all the old paint?

Then I have another question about tightness.

We have our best friends as tenants, and from time to time the woman complains that the windows are drafty.

Except for one balcony door, everything meets the standard for wooden windows in my opinion.
The question is, is there any standard or a way to test this?

Sure, if you hold a lighter up during a storm, it flickers slightly, but only slightly.

Since the windows have no damage, it must be the seals, right?

Should I just buy new seals, or better the acrylic version?
Too tight is also bad, right?

2. The aforementioned drafty balcony door is actually drafty... or rather, it does not latch into the two upper anchor points... the pin always slips out and then practically floats next to it, which opens a tiny gap at the upper right corner.

Can anything be done about that, or do I need a new door or a door frame?

The mentioned door opens inward to the left, if that is important.

In this case, I would get a window installer (maybe even the one the windows come from?!) and have it checked.

And afterwards, I would consider whether it is good for a friendship to enter into such a relationship.

All landlord matters - especially since you, as an amateur with no knowledge, have no business being involved. You might cause damage to someone else's property.

All landlord matters - especially since you as a layman without any knowledge have no business getting involved in it. You might end up causing damage to someone else's property.

He is the landlord after all

Oh, mea culpa - I had read it differently. Still, the tip is to have a professional do it.