Crittall Windows Ltd - getting delisted, is it possible?

chudies

hi there

does anyone have any experience of using Crittall Windows Ltd.
i live in a "listed" building and are being forced by English Heritage to use Crittall Windows Ltd, as they are the only company in the WHOLE country who still manufacture our windows.

also, any tips on getting de-listed. thanks to being listed by some well meaning local resident, we got listed, not that any of us wanted to be

thanks in advance

Xbigman

No other replies so here's my 2p worth.

Do you have any paperwork from when you were listed? There must be a reason for the listing other than it just being an old house and you might be able to challenge this.

Other than that you are stuffed. Having work done on a listed property is expensive and you cannot play games with English heritage. Their powers are draconian and it is cheaper to take the hit and pay for the windows.
Regards



X

chudies

thanks mate, yep finding both the council and english heritage is quite draconian!!

listing was thanks to local residents, not the ones in the flats
nice!

Old_No.7

Hi, we have Crittal windows in our flat, and since we love them, we've put in secondary glazing instead of double glazing to help combat some problems. What is the problem with them? Crittall has a new system that can replace their old windows without giving up the look. There are some companies out there that repair, paint, etc them, so try those maybe?

still have the info when I did my research, but as I'm not sure if i can post information on companies etc on here, let me know if you want it. Secondary glazing, a few replaced panes and a paint job has sorted most of the problems for us.

chudies

we are being forced by english heritage to replace our old windows with them (or like them)
some of the problems in in comparision with pvc:
1. more expensive
2. apparently 50% as efficient
3. less noise insulation

i agree secondary glazing can help with the last two, but it just another cost to the already pricer crittal windows

repairing, paint - we have tried but some windows are beyond repair
and it is simply easier, and more cost effective to replace the lot

if you have the info on the other window companies, i would be most grateful
thank you

inmypocketnottheirs

Whilst I have no experience of the company, Crittalls have been around a very long time. They are very likely the longest if not one of the longest established window companies in the country. I would say longer than Everest, who primarily are a replacement window company, whereas Crittalls manufactured window frames before there was a replacement market.

Not a lot of use to you I know, but if you were forced to proceed with them, I am sure you would get a good job done.

HTH

chickenlady_3

We used to have crittall windows, but fortunately were not in a conservation area so were able to replace them.

Poor you! They were awful - masses of condensation, which used to turn the curtains mouldy and then freeze them to othe window in this kind of weather. They had no insulating properties whatsoever - you could see the wind whistling through them.

Maybe you could get together with the local residents and newspaper to start a campaign. Not everything from the past was better, and with the current level of environmental concern you would think Crittall windows would be banned!

Having said all that, maybe they have improved, but I can't see how. Good luck. Hope you find a way around it.

cattie

chudies wrote:

hi there

does anyone have any experience of using Crittall Windows Ltd.
i live in a "listed" building and are being forced by English Heritage to use Crittall Windows Ltd, as they are the only company in the WHOLE country who still manufacture our windows.

also, any tips on getting de-listed. thanks to being listed by some well meaning local resident, we got listed, not that any of us wanted to be

thanks in advance

Oh, you don't live at Spa Green do you?

NigeWick

chudies wrote:

i live in a "listed" building and are being forced by English Heritage to use Crittall Windows Ltd, as they are the only company in the WHOLE country who still manufacture our windows

I worked with Everest for a while and they do have experience of working with English Heritage and Councils. You could contact them and ask for one of their free quotes and when the sales person arrives, point out the challenges straight away. Giving them a question to answer may just get them out of the "you must buy today to get the deal" mentality too. The initial outlay will be amongst the highest, but, you do get the best backup long term. I found this out when I bought self cleaning windows and the fitters had to come back to our kitchen eight times because the coating appears to be a bit delicate. The bottom line is, they kept coming back until we were satisfied with it.

Nigel.

chudies

inmypocketnottheirs wrote:

Whilst I have no experience of the company, Crittalls have been around a very long time. They are very likely the longest if not one of the longest established window companies in the country. I would say longer than Everest, who primarily are a replacement window company, whereas Crittalls manufactured window frames before there was a replacement market.

Not a lot of use to you I know, but if you were forced to proceed with them, I am sure you would get a good job done.

HTH

indeed, they are established and they are good
but as you say, we are being forced by english heritage
so they can pretty much name their price! and there lies the problem!

chudies

chickenlady wrote:

We used to have crittall windows, but fortunately were not in a conservation area so were able to replace them.

Poor you! They were awful - masses of condensation, which used to turn the curtains mouldy and then freeze them to othe window in this kind of weather. They had no insulating properties whatsoever - you could see the wind whistling through them.

Maybe you could get together with the local residents and newspaper to start a campaign. Not everything from the past was better, and with the current level of environmental concern you would think Crittall windows would be banned!

Having said all that, maybe they have improved, but I can't see how. Good luck. Hope you find a way around it.

you highlight the other problem and why we arent keen, condensation!
and curtains being ruined! you are spot on!
they look good, thin unlike some pvc windows but they dont "breathe"