Replace or repair 1920s metal "cottage style" windows

TravelHappy

Hello. We've just purchased a home in Guildford which has the original 1920's steel windows set in a thich wooden frame. The metal parts are in quite bad condition but I have been told that they can be refurbished so that they close and draft sealing will also help. I like the character of them in the house but I also think I should consider getting replacement double glazed ones or the place will be impossible to heat. Has anyone refurbished these style of windows or replaced them? Do you have any good/bad experiences of local companies? There would be 12 to replace altogether. I understand that for PVC (not an option) it would cost about £350-£600 per window. Any idea of the prices I'd be looking at for "heritage" style windows? Big companies have made searching the internet for sample prices almost impossible ensuring all google searchs come up with their sites. Any advice and help would be appreciated.

Leif

Not that I know much about windows (cue a comment from someone else ), but you might consider aluminium framed windows. They look nicer than uPVC, last longer and I am told the seals last longer as they do not deform like uPVC. Bear in mind that if you have the frames replaced, you may have to repair the plaster around and near the windows.

Ben84

Have you also looked in to secondary glazing?

I was told a couple of years ago that going from single pane windows to double glazing for a typical three bedroom house would save about £150 a year if the house is heated with gas. Basically, for the cost, an insignificant amount of money, so the expense has to be justified for cosmetic, security or comfort reasons. In our example the single glazed windows are secure and attractive, so it was all about making the house more comfortable inside. Secondary glazing did that for a lot less cost, less disruption and mess than totally replacing the windows.

Gloomendoom

We have old metal framed single glazed windows. The house is warm and cosy even in winter. However, they are in good condition and don't let drafts through.

As has been said, if you like the looks of the original windows, secondary glazing may be the most cost effective solution.

ed110220

I don't think there's anything that matches the look of steel-framed windows very well and UPVC is usually an ugly replacement in my opinion (as the plastic is not nearly as strong as steel, it has to be much thicker which looks crude and clunky).

If you can put in secondary glazing then you'll get the benefit of extra heat and sound insulation if you can get the original windows repaired.

mrschaucer

Do you think they might be Crittall windows? You can get the real thing double glazed nowadays. http://www.crittall-windows.co.uk/

Ben84

ed110220 wrote: »

I don't think there's anything that matches the look of steel-framed windows very well and UPVC is usually an ugly replacement in my opinion (as the plastic is not nearly as strong as steel, it has to be much thicker which looks crude and clunky).

If you can put in secondary glazing then you'll get the benefit of extra heat and sound insulation if you can get the original windows repaired.

There are also aluminium frame windows which have much thinner frames, are stronger and I think more attractive than plastic.

As for secondary glazing, I believe the sound insulation is often better than double glazing, but the thermal insulation is usually a bit less. These are wide generalisations I know, but most of what I saw fitted in to this description pretty well. There's still a wide range within the product types however, including some very expensive high end secondary glazing which contains double pane sealed units itself and some fairly cheap low end double glazing that doesn't have particularly good thermal or sound performance. It's not absolute, but it's a general trend I found that fitted pretty well within the various price ranges I looked at.

Some secondary glazing is DIY suitable too and all the work needed should be inside so easy to access for most windows, making for large potential savings on installation costs.