Renovating Leaky Windows & Doors

SherryFloss

I have loft insulation a mile thick and I am in a mid terrace house but none of this counts for anything because I can see daylight through the frames of my large victorian sash windows and the front and back doors.

I live in a conservation area but there are NO local authority grants available. That has all been cut.

None of the Green Deal grants or loans cover the renovation of windows. This is a massive oversight.

Surely there must be some help somewhere. I just don't have the money to do it. I have large thick curtains but it's not possible to hang a curtain across the front door.

Please can anybody offer any advice?

JJ_Egan

Screwfix or B&Q all have insulation stuff for doors and windows .Likewise Wilco and even Poundland .

http://www.screwfix.com/c/security-ironmongery/door-window-seals/cat840242

SherryFloss

JJ Egan - thank you for your reply. Been there, done that. Unfortunately, the frames and the door are beyond 'insulation'. Victorian Sashes were designed to be renovated every 10 years and generally, have never been. I can see daylight through the wood of the frames and around the edges of the glass.

Smiley_Dan

Fill the gaps then... Even covering with tape as a short term measure can help. You need to stop the air movement.

It's worth checking why the gaps are appearing in the first place. Are the frames warping? If so, find why and retreat.

Note that your dwelling may be relying on this for ventilation! So proceed judiciously.

JJ_Egan

You are not going to get money to fix the building infrastructure .
Green deals to fix old windows doors floorboards brickwork
cooker etc the list would only finish with a new build fully fitted .

SherryFloss

Thank you Smiley Dan & JJ Egan. I don't really understand either of your responses.

The frames are rotten and need extensive work. That's why the gaps have appeared. I have stopped up the gaps and have painted and repainted the frames but putting sticking plasters on festering wounds hides a long term problem for a very short time.

As I live in a conservation area, I am not allowed to replace the frames so they have to be renovated but the local authority doesn't offer any help to do it.

I've done the temporary stop gap stuff for a long time and now the frames need major work. The temporary stuff is ineffective now.

I am asking for guidance for possible grants - not temporary measures. I know about the temporary measures. I know I'm not the only person in the world where the most effective draft treatment would be to fix the windows and doors. The insulation of walls and lofts is pointless otherwise.

stator

You can still replace windows in a conservation area, just not with crappy UPVC windows, they just have to be suitable:
http://www.woodwindowalliance.com/homeowner/conservation-windows
I don't think you'll find any grants since window repair and maintenance is the responsibility of the householder.

JJ_Egan

If you live in a conservation area then contact your local authority re grants.

Smiley_Dan

Have you talked to building control about this? At some point the window frame must be replaced if it has gone too far and they will understand this - imagine the conversion of a rundown house - they don't expect you to live with a window hanging half out. If you replace with something sympathetic then it might be fine.

If you are permitted 2G or 3G then you might be able to use the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund. If not, the council need shooting.

You also need to understand why they are rotten in the first place. If the paint and treatment isn't applied correctly externally the same thing will happen again. In theory, wood windows are immortal, but as you say they need checking.

Smiley_Dan

Also you might be able to get VAT off which can make a decent difference. Used to be the case for listed buildings anyway.

SherryFloss

Stator - in which case why isn't insulation the responsibility of the householder as well? I do see your point but we just don't have the money to do a proper fix and I don't see as it being a massive stretch of imagination to include windows and doors in the great drive to save energy.

JJ Egan - as you will have read, I have tried the local authority and they stopped grants a long time ago.

So I'm bashing my head against a brick wall, then?

Smiley Dan - I don't know the entire history of the building but the frames were in a poor condition when we moved into the property 12 years ago but were painted over. We've tried to maintain them but are loosing the battle. I have to start from where I am now, though.