Should I Get New Windows?
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Generally speaking, getting new windows in place of your old windows should be a last resort where repairs can no longer be efficiently made. Repairs will ideally be made to preserve the value and history your old windows while keeping your costs low. A whole reinstatement is going to be costly as you are looking at all new material rather than just some new materials. Throw in the time invested to create the window, install it etc. and you are looking at a more expensive overall product and service.
Importantly, remember that we can make your sash windows look as good as new. It is quite shocking, but when we show clients how old, beaten up timber windows looked compared to how we can make them look… They are shocked! We can take old windows and make them look brand new with our renovation service. This is all with keeping as much of the original wood etc. as possible. That is the value of your window — the aged wood — so we do what we can to keep it alive.
If you are indeed in need of a total reinstatement, it is vital that the team you hire has the correct skills and experience to complete the work correctly. Sash windows are a beautiful thing and your property deserves the best treatment. Anything less and you might run into problems in the future that simply cost you more money.
As your excellent sash window specialists in Bath, we have a great appreciation for these windows and their amazing history. We will always aim to make repairs to your windows where other tradesman cannot. This is a lot of the value we bring. Many tradesman are lazy and simply want to reinstate windows wherever possible. We do the opposite. Excellent workmanship allows us to create smart repairs where other craftsman might not bother to workout.
If your windows need an expert looking at them let us know and we can come and have a look for you. Upon a site inspection we can provide you with a followup quotation of all works and materials involved in the project.
Listed buildings
Do you own a listed building? Listed buildings require a slightly different approach to normal non-listed buildings. For a property to be listed, the building needs to have special architectural or historic meaning. These properties are then recorded at different grades (e.g. grade 1 listed building or grade 2 listed building) to show their degree of importance in the world of properties.
As these buildings are deemed to be more special than others they have specific protections put on them so that the integrity of the property remains. The rules essentially protect the listed buildings from new developments happening without being examined by the local planning department. As a result of listed buildings often being old and historic, they often have sash windows. Sashes were a key feature of houses built over the last centuries so this is to be expected.
If you have a listed building we will need to get permission from the local planning department to make any changes to your property. Often it will mean making replicas of the windows you had before.
You should know if you have a listed building, but these tend to be manors and more ‘grand’ homes.
Fix your windows or improve on what is there?
It’s often preferable to improve your current windows than just reinstate brand new windows. We will always look for improvements before suggesting brand new windows as it is simply more cost effective for you. Why get brand new windows when some craftsmanship, time and a few new materials can make your windows work perfectly again anyway?
Most common problems can be easily solved these days. Materials are wide spread. Things like flaking paint, rot residing in your frames and sash, draughts etc. can all be repaired fairly easily without invasive repairs. Unless an exceptional circumstance all of these can easily be fixed.
Also, if you keep your windows well maintained (paint every few years, clean your windows, keep them draught free etc.) you will be able to avoid any major problems setting into your window anyway. Taking measures like this into your own hands or hiring an expert like us to do these maintenance checks will keep your windows going for ages.
Another thing to consider is the age of your window. If you have really old windows it’s likely that the sash and frames were made using much harder and sturdier timber. It’s likely that, even if you have a bit of rot, it will not have spread throughout the whole of the timber and therefore the whole thing won’t need to be reinstated. You would just splice that part of the timber out and add a new piece of wood in. You will only have this strong sturdy wood if your windows are really old.
Reinstating new windows
If you really have to completely reinstate your window as your old window is too damaged, do not worry. A skilled team like ours can make the exact same window that you had before plus a smooth installation. New installations usually take more time and effort than repairs (especially if an exact replica needs to be made) but it is worth it if the old window will end up taking more time and money to fix than simply making a new window anyway.
If a company is trying to push you to get brand new windows, you should go for a second opinion. It could be that they are simply trying to make more money through you rather than serving your best intentions.
Sashes can be expensive if completely replaced so it is worth asking another company. You might save yourself thousands if your current windows just need some basic fixes followed by some easy maintenance by moving forward as carried out by yourself. If you need a hand with anything feel free to reach out and will do whatever we can to help!
Originally published at BathSashWindows.com.
