Secondary Glazing , is it any good and what kind of price is it ??

[TV Magic]

Basically converting the downstairs of my house , into a couple of flats , the windows are perfectly good(not rotton etc) sash windows , around 7 foot high by around 4 foot wide , firstly it would be very costly to invest in number windows for the place , due to them been curved at the tops and over a certain height , so toughen glass would be needed , so i was thinking to make it much more hopefully cost effective was to fit internal secondary glazing , i've no experince which such a concept and was wondering , if really its a bit of a waste of time etc , or if its good stuff and cost effective ? anyone got any advice or past experinces with the stuff????

TIA

[AlanG]

It works. I work in a listed building where they have installed internal glazed shutters on the windows.

How much it would cost? I have no idea.

[Stewart]

Before 1995 we lived in a Victorian house reaching 3 floors high and with high ceiling heights so there was a lot of heat loss; also with the high ceilings the windows (sash and case) were also large. I fitted 3 different kinds of secondary glazing. The cheapest was a kind of plastic sheeting that was held on with a tape like Velcro. It stopped the draughts but did not stop the spiders and flies from getting into the gap and so we found it was a most difficult job to remove the sheets in order to clean the insides of the windows. I would not recommend any type that did not easily open and close for cleaning. The next was fitted by one of the proprietary installers and looked best, it had firm runners with click stops on each side and the windows could be part opened. They did the job well but again it was a problem cleaning between the original window and the secondary glazing. After a while they got stiff to move up and down and because there was an overlap between the top and bottom panes dirt was difficult to remove from there. The third we had was cheaper then the proprietary system and was easily self fitted. With it the top and bottom secondary glazing panes were hinged and so could easily be opened for cleaning, unfortunately like the first one I mentioned it was not easy to have a part open window and they were heavy to take off in the summer. I would recommend secondary double glazing but would suggest that you think of all the permutations before committing your self.

"TV Magic" wrote in message news:GBsvh.5329$ [e-mail]...

[TV Magic]

Thank you for your feedback , the idea of changing the panes in the windows to a sealed unit , seemed like a good idea , but i guess it depends if the windows are upto the job.......hmmmmm its a tough one ,i can replace the windows as the building is not listed or in a conservation area , but the fact of it costing close to 20k for the 33 windows changing , thats up and down , i'm hoping for a more cost effective soultion.......rather than fitting a whole new set of double glazing , but i know it will be kinda worth it , in the long run IMHO of course.

[News Groups]

In my experience secondary glazing is effective in reducing draughts, heat loss and noise. Because the primary glazing is not usually draught proof you get a build-up of dust and dirt in the gap. The sliding systems for glass that use an aluminium frame and sliders are difficult to slide because of the weight of the glass, and although the sections will lift out for cleaning, this is difficult because of the weight. I have used a clear plastic (sheet acrylic) system that was held by magnetic strips. Although this was lighter than glass, and therefore easier to remove for cleaning, the downside was that it was easily scratched and would flex noisily in very windy weather. So, a hinged glass system is probably the one to consider.

[dneale123_nospam]

May be worthwhile taking a look at my own recent experience with adding sliding secondary glazing to sash windows. It is a DIY kit made of UPVC and using standard glass, allegedly equivalent to the old Polycell kits that are no longer sold in the shops.

Worked out at =A3170 per window including glass, and the result is pretty good - gives noticeable noise reduction and improved insulation...For more details including photos see

[dneale123_nospam]

May be worthwhile taking a look at my own recent experience with adding sliding secondary glazing to sash windows. Can't remember the maximum height allowed but I think you can get a kit for up to 7'. It is a DIY kit made of UPVC and using standard 4mm glass (although toughened glass could probably just be teased in if it's only just over 4mm). The kit's allegedly equivalent to the old Polycell kits that are no longer sold in the shops.

Worked out at =A3170 per window including glass for a 5'x3' window, and the result is pretty good - gives noticeable noise reduction and improved insulation...For more details including photos see