Window Frame to Wall Sealant

[Frank]

My parents house had double glazed windows installed about 25 years ago. The windows (aluminium frames with a factory applied white finish) are in excellent condition, but the sealant used to 'point' the small gap between the window frame and the wall (standard red brick) is starting to deteriorate and crack on some of the more exposed windows. My guess is that the gap between the window and the is very small. The 'pointing' is triangular shaped.

My question is what type of sealant to use to re-point the gap. I am confused with all the variations of Silicon (?sp), butyl compounds, putty etc. etc. The existing sealant is white, has very little flexibility (although that could be age related). As far as I know it was never painted, so i don't think it was putty. My understanding is that putty needs to be painted to stop it drying out too much.

Any help at identifying the correct sealant would be appreciated. Most of the previous posts discuss sealing the glass to the window frame - not the frame to the wall.

Thanks

Frank

p.s. e-mail address is no longer valid.

[Mathew J. Newton]

windows.

'Frame Sealant'?

?Search=1&searchstr=26507The latter being only 83p inc. free delivery.

Mathew

[Biff]

Matthew's advice is absolutely right in your situation, but the problem illustrates what is wrong with moddern materials. The UPVC windows were sealed with a material that probably proudly announced a

10 year guarantee. And then failed after a mere 25 years. If the windows had been made of oak and the gap sealed with a paste made of boiled linseed oil and fine sand the system could be expected to last for ten times as long. Or more.

[Frank]

Thanks - that should do the job.