Glazing London provides uPVC window repair across Central and North London, 24/7: friction hinges, gearboxes, locks, handles and gaskets replaced, most on the same day from parts we carry on the van. Free diagnosis by WhatsApp photo, fixed quotes before we travel. Find your symptom below.
| Your symptom | Likely fault | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Window won't close, or catches the frame | Worn friction hinges letting the sash drop | New friction hinges, fitted in pairs Same-day fix |
| Handle turns but the window won't lock or open | Stripped espagnolette gearbox | Window gearbox replacement Same-day fix |
| Handle is floppy, stiff or snapped off | Worn handle or seized spindle | Window handle replacement Same-day fix |
| Key won't turn, or the lock button jams | Failed handle lock barrel or shootbolt drive | uPVC window lock repair Same-day fix |
| Cold draught around the opening edge | Shrunken or flattened gaskets, or lost compression | New gaskets + hinge re-tension Same-day fix |
| Misted or foggy glass you can't wipe clean | Failed sealed unit, condensation between panes | New sealed unit (glass, not frame) |
uPVC hardware is more standardised than people think. We stock the sizes that fit the vast majority of London's uPVC windows, which is why most repairs finish in one visit of 1-2 hours.
Friction hinges carry the whole weight of an opening sash, and after 10-15 years the rivets and slides wear until the sash drops and clips the frame. We replace hinges in pairs, matched to the stack height (13 mm or 17 mm) and sash weight, then re-square the sash so it compresses evenly on its seals again. Fire-escape windows get egress hinges that open the full 90° required.
The espagnolette gearbox is the small mechanism inside the sash edge that converts the handle's turn into the travel of the locking rods. When its gears strip, the handle turns but nothing moves, and the window is stuck locked or unlocked. We measure the backset and spindle position, free the sash safely if it's locked shut, and fit a matching replacement gearbox with the rods re-timed so every mushroom cam lands in its keep.
Locking failures range from a tired handle barrel to seized shootbolts at the sash corners. We strip, diagnose and replace only the failed component, and while we're there we check keeps and cams for alignment (the usual hidden cause of "stiff" locking). Ground-floor flat or just been broken into? We can add upgraded keeps and sash jammers, and our 24/7 emergency team attends insecure windows day or night.
Espag handles are near-universal: what matters is spindle length, screw centres (usually 43 mm) and hand. We carry white, black, chrome and gold finishes, locking and non-locking, and can key several windows alike so one key does the floor. A five-minute job done properly, including the blind screw caps most people lose.
uPVC gaskets shrink back from the corners and harden with age, letting draughts and noise past. We re-run the correct gasket profile continuously around the sash (no corner joints to shrink open again) and re-tension the hinges so the sash pulls up tight. If the draught turns out to be a dropped sash rather than the rubber, the fix is hinges, and we'll tell you so.
Condensation trapped between the panes means the unit's edge seal has failed, and no amount of wiping helps. The honest repair is a new double glazed unit made to size (typically 24 or 28 mm), re-glazed into your existing frame within about a week. The frame stays; only the glass changes. It's the perfect example of our repair-first promise on the window & door repairs hub: replace the failed part, never the whole window.
Frame genuinely beyond saving (warped, cracked or discoloured throughout)? Then and only then we'll talk about new uPVC windows, made by our own factory. Door playing up instead? See uPVC door repairs, and timber sashes have their own sash window repair specialists.
Include the hardware markings if you can see any, and we'll identify the part, quote a fixed price, and usually fix it the same day. Free quotes, no call-out fee, 24/7 across London. Or book a free survey for multiple windows.