At the back of our house, there are four UPVC sash windws, fitted about 25 years ago. I now know a bit more about what they could be like and wouldn't buy this exact sort again, but they are in place and not broken, so they're not getting replaced just yet.
However, continued exposure to sun, wind and rain has made them a bit draughtier than they used to be. A closer look revealed that the rubber seals where the lower sashes meet the cills were not up to the job.
After many hours looking through websites of people who sell such things, I thought I had found the right sort, but I wasn't sure, so I sent for a sample pack. Ten different shapes of "bubble seal" arrived, but none of them was right.
But now, armed with more knowledge of seal shapes than I ever expected to need, I was able to identify what I needed and order four metres of it from somewhere else.
It arrived promptly and I fitted strips onto all four windows this morning. It's not technically difficult to do but just for the record, do avoid windows where you have to stretch across the kitchen sink to get at the fixing groove while standing on a step, or where your varifocal glasses only offer the wrong bit of the lens as you swap between working upside down and going by feel alone.
And if anyone else needs to identify theirs, I can report that these two samples represent the same cross section and size
However, continued exposure to sun, wind and rain has made them a bit draughtier than they used to be. A closer look revealed that the rubber seals where the lower sashes meet the cills were not up to the job.
After many hours looking through websites of people who sell such things, I thought I had found the right sort, but I wasn't sure, so I sent for a sample pack. Ten different shapes of "bubble seal" arrived, but none of them was right.
But now, armed with more knowledge of seal shapes than I ever expected to need, I was able to identify what I needed and order four metres of it from somewhere else.
It arrived promptly and I fitted strips onto all four windows this morning. It's not technically difficult to do but just for the record, do avoid windows where you have to stretch across the kitchen sink to get at the fixing groove while standing on a step, or where your varifocal glasses only offer the wrong bit of the lens as you swap between working upside down and going by feel alone.
And if anyone else needs to identify theirs, I can report that these two samples represent the same cross section and size
No photo but will provide if required 
much to the amusement of the warehouse supervisor, sadly no photo.
