Help choosing replacement windows

[dd]

Our house is around 1900, and would have had sash windows throughout, I guess. Unfortunately these were stripped out and replaced with single glazed glass with a small top-opener; unattractive, hot in summer and draughty in winter.

I want to upgrade all these, starting with those at the rear of the house, but I know that timber sash windows are very expensive, and need a specialist fitter.

Looking at replacement windows on houses in the area and at the suppliers, I am quite unimpressed by most which seem to have a very thick frame, with black rubber seals. Why couldn't they use white rubber? Why can't they make the frame less obtrusive?

What I am looking for is a reasonably attractive replacement. Which replacement windows have a slim frame? How do aluminium frames compare with uPVC? How expensive are sash double-glazed windows (if they even exist)? I am looking for something with a horizontal bar so that if we end up with a mixture of windows on the house, there won't be a massive difference in the look. At some point, hopefully, we may be able to afford replacement timber sash windows on the front of the house.

Any recommended suppliers in the South London / Croydon area?

I have a friend who used to fit windows though he admits he is a bit out of date: he can help me with fitting / measuring.

Dave

[Christian McArdle]

Don't even think about installing anything other than sliding sash wood windows. If you live in a reasonable area with 1900 era houses, then you will undoubtedly be seriously reducing (or at least not recovering) the value of your home.

You can get sliding sash windows made up very cheap. They aren't that difficult to install, but the monkeys at the uPVC companies wouldn't have a clue.

If you're feeling flush, the Original Box Sash Windows company will see you straight, but for a seriously large fee (but with a huge guarantee and carefully selected hardwoods). However, you will certainly find loads of local joiners knocking up pine sashes and fitting them, for literally a fraction of the price. Also, they tend to be more interested in the job than the uPVC monkeys. The companies tend to be less fly by night.

It is close to illegal in most cases to fit single glazed windows. You'll certainly find it much easier to find double glazed than single even for wooden sashes.

Christian.

[Andrew Gabriel]

You can have them made up with white rubber, but it gets dirt stuck in/behind it, and ends up looking a lot worse than the black rubber.

They may be internally glazed, which requires significantly thicker frames (especially for openers). It hasn't been necessary to use internally glazed frames for security purposes for a few years now.

[Owain]

"Christian McArdle" wrote | Don't even think about installing anything other than sliding sash | wood windows. If you live in a reasonable area with 1900 era houses, | then you will undoubtedly be seriously reducing (or at least not | recovering) the value of your home.

Agreed. As the OP has manky unauthentic windows which need replacing anyway, the cost of replacing the windows may actually be more than offset by the increase in value of the house, especially if nearby properties have unsympathetic replacement windows.

Compared to the near £1000 per window the Big Double-Glazing Companies Who Use High Pressure Salesmen seem to work on (less todays' very special 20% discount If You Sign Now), some locally sourced pine sashes may be surprisingly reasonable.

|> I have a friend who used to fit windows though he admits he |> is a bit out of date: he can help me with fitting / measuring.

'A bit out of date' doesn't really matter with a 1900 house.

I do think the OP should start with the front windows though; they're likely to be biggest and certainly make the greatest impression on a property. No great loss if a back bathroom window isn't quite period.

Another possibility may be to look for old windows being skipped by less sensitive individuals (or, more expensively, from reclamation places).

Owain

[Christian McArdle]

I know. I live in a 1910 era house. Of about 60 houses in the street, I think we may be the only one that has crappy plastic windows. The back of the house is full of original sashes, although sadly in need of renovation when the 100 or so projects I've already got on the go are finished. My remaining tuits are decidedly square and I can't find any circular ones.

Christian.

[dd]

I'm sold on having real sash windows, then... :-)

Approximately how much would I be looking at spending on a 800mm x

1300mm window? And how much to fit it? (Assuming I replace a few windows at a time.)

I know this depends on quality of materials, area, quality of joiner etc but just to get an idea. I'm in South London, so I probably need to double any labour price you'd pay elsewhere.

Also I guess I may be missing some/all of the original mechanism.

[Owain]

"dd" wrote | I'm sold on having real sash windows, then... :-) | Approximately how much would I be looking at spending on a 800mm | x 1300mm window? And how much to fit it? (Assuming I replace a | few windows at a time.) | I know this depends on quality of materials, area, quality of joiner | etc but just to get an idea. I'm in South London, so I probably need | to double any labour price you'd pay elsewhere.

The following are some of those listed in the TRADA directory as either sliding or sash window

May give you a starting point of whom to contact apart from local firms

Box Sash Window Co (Supplier, Berks)

Barrett Joinery (supplier, Croydon) Varma Limited (supplier, NW2) Tel [phone]

M2 Construction (supplier, SE14)

Joinery (supplier, E15) Contractors (supplier, NW10)

[BillV]

I did some through research on this a few months ago for a similar replacement window for a South London flat. Sadly we could not find anyone to do it properly in wood for less than £1100 ... for 1 window! This was for supply and fit of a complete new window inc new boxes etc. Apparently its a suppliers' market in this area.