ᐅ Window frame without slope, causing water to accumulate on the surface

broegele schrieb:
Thanks for the cultural critique. However, my question was less about architectural taste and more about proper drainage. If water flows into the room when opening, that has little to do with “fashion.”

I’ll gladly rephrase it in German as a foreign language: the options for designing a profile with minimal visible width are limited. If you want to push this goal too far, at some point you inevitably have to resort to unsuitable measures. One such measure is saving the millimeters / slope degrees needed for the necessary incline. The water then drains too slowly and is only accelerated by the movement of the window sash, causing it to end up inside the swing area of the room. This is the price known from the saying, “If you want to look good, you have to suffer.” These special frame profiles are expensive enough that no one would accidentally add them to their shopping cart. So you should have already avoided this mistake when purchasing if you don’t want to pay the price of this unwanted side effect. At least you can keep a good eye on whether the frame has dried out through evaporation after it rained. I’m not aware of any suction devices for water that doesn’t drain due to insufficient slope. If you want to open the window before the water evaporates, you will need to line the swing area with absorbent cloths to catch the water that runs off and avoid having to mop it up afterward. You will be wiser at your next window purchase and avoid such nonsense (as I, first as a window manufacturer and later as a retailer, avoided introducing it to the market).

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

Hello,

We have windows like these as well. In fact, we specifically ordered them that way, since by default the carpenter installs the angled aluminum cladding. I would definitely choose this option again.

We also notice water dripping from these spots as soon as the window is opened (not just tilted). Due to centrifugal force, the water is pushed outward and despite surface tension, it spills over the edge. Beauty comes with some drawbacks. However, it is definitely possible to open the windows without water running off. The key is patience and SLOWLY moving the sash. If some water does spill, the floor won’t be damaged. Socks are quite absorbent too.

Best regards

11ant schrieb:
I like to put it again in simple terms for non-native speakers: the options to design a profile with the narrowest possible visible width are limited. If you want to push this goal too far, at some point you inevitably have to resort to unsuitable measures. One such measure is saving the millimeters / slope degrees needed for the necessary incline. The resulting slow drainage of water is then only sped up by moving the window sash, which causes water to end up inside the room in the sash swivel area. This is the price paid, as the saying goes, "beauty requires suffering." These special frame profiles are expensive enough that nobody would accidentally add them to their shopping cart. So you should have avoided this mistake when purchasing, if you don’t want to pay the price of this unwanted side effect. At least you can clearly see whether the frame has dried through evaporation after rain. I am not aware of any drainage systems for water that does not flow away due to inclination. If you open the window before the water has evaporated, you will have to line the swivel area with absorbent cloths to catch the water draining there, in order to avoid having to wipe it up afterward. Next time you buy a window, you’ll be wiser and avoid such nonsense (just like I, as a window manufacturer and later dealer, avoided introducing it to the market).

Thank you for the detailed explanation. However, my question was much simpler: Is it really considered normal for modern windows to let water run inside when opened? If that were truly state of the art, it would be quite a notable development.

derdietmar schrieb:
We have windows like that too. In fact, we ordered them that way on purpose; normally the carpenter installs the beveled aluminum cladding. I would do it the same way again at any time.

And yes, water drips from these spots as soon as you open the window (not just tilt it). Due to centrifugal force, the water is pushed outward and despite surface tension it splashes over the edge. Beauty comes at a price. But you can also open the windows without water running inside. The key is patience and SLOW movement of the sash. If something does spill, the floor won’t be damaged anyway. Plus, socks are quite absorbent.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s interesting that with these windows, you apparently have to choose between appearance and function. I had expected that a window could do both: look good and drain rainwater to the outside effectively.

I am already opening the door very slowly, but as you might see in the last picture, the water is running down the outside of the frame. The water that is standing inside the frame is still there afterwards. So it must be coming from somewhere else. From above, or something like that, I have no idea.

I believe you would experience the same with a sloped window. If the window is fully exposed to rain without any protection and you open it afterward, water will always run down from the frame and the glass. Not heavily, but it still happens.

Question: Why does the window need to be opened immediately after the rain stops? If it’s just a temporary solution, maybe tilt it open slightly and gently wiggle it so the water on the frame and glass can drain off first.

broegele schrieb:
My question was actually much simpler: Is it really considered normal for water to enter the room when modern windows are opened? If that were truly state-of-the-art, it would be a remarkable development. [/] It’s interesting that apparently with these windows you have to choose between appearance and function. My expectation was actually that a window should be able to do both: look good and direct rainwater outward.

No, it is not normal – but omitting a slope (which physics clearly requires here) is not normal either. The state of the art remains that water does not disappear by magic but drains off due to gravity. You do not have to choose between practicality and aesthetics (according to some people’s fashionable taste), but you are allowed to. In a free society, adults may be as unwise as they want within the framework of constitutional order (see Degenhardt), and no building standard (e.g., DIN) prevents that in this case. In the case of “floating” cantilevered staircases and their fall protection, some would also like that freedom. But there, it is not about drops on the floor but potentially a broken neck – and then the legislator considers its “parental” duty more important than design freedom.

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/