ᐅ Mineral cast window sills warp or deform over time

Created on: 6 Sep 2023 09:01
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siegthread
Hello,

I would like to know if anyone has experience with a similar case or expertise in this area. My search in forums and on the internet has so far yielded no results.

In our new build, the window sills are warping—especially on the south side.

The window sills were installed in February while the house was still in the shell stage. The sills were fixed on the left and right sides to the aerated concrete blocks using wooden wedges and sprayed with foam from underneath. The interior plaster was applied around March. By May, the screed was in place and the underfloor heating commissioning program had been completed.

Recently, we noticed that the window sills, mainly on the south side, are bending upwards in the middle. It can be seen that the interior plaster, which has been in place for a long time, is still perfectly straight. This means the window sills warped only after the plaster was applied and after the foam had fully hardened.

It is also noticeable that this only affects the shorter window sills of about 1.10 meters (3 feet 7 inches) in length and only when they are on the south side. There are larger window sills on the south side and smaller ones on other sides that are not as severely affected. The upward bend in the middle of those sills can only be guessed at and amounts to about 1–2 millimeters (0.04–0.08 inches). For the smaller south-facing window sills, the upward bend in the middle is about 8–10 millimeters (0.3–0.4 inches).

According to our construction supervisor, the case was discussed with the stonemason, but there is no explanation—“We have never seen anything like this with window sills before.”

Now, the three mainly affected window sills are supposed to be replaced.

My concern is that since the cause of the problem cannot be explained, the same behavior might occur again after some time. In the worst case, the window sills could crack. Stone is not exactly known for its elasticity.

What I currently do not know is the brand of the mineral cast window sills and the type of foam that was used.

I would really appreciate any comments. Best regards
White window frame with windowsill on a light wall, interior view of a window.

Interior: wooden bench at bottom right against gray wall, large window above.
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Steffi33
8 Sep 2023 08:00
I had seen this years ago at friends' place, but their window sills were not made of stone. The reason there was that the expanding foam expanded from underneath and continued to do so for some time after installation. Apparently, the foam can generate considerable force.