Sash Windows

Old Sash Windows

Sash Windows — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:36:26 +0000

Q. Is there a “new widget” to replace the ropes/weights for opening the window and closing, placed into each track of the window?

Thanks in advance

Best,
Jackson

A. Jackson, thank you for your enquiry.

New sash windows can be fitted with ‘spiral balances’ instead of traditional weights and pulleys. To my knowledge there is no system that can be retro-fitted to existing sliding sash windows as the sashes have to be machined to take these balances/springs.

Having said that it would be possible but I have never seen it done as I would have thought it easier to repair the weights and pulleys system.

Kind Regards,
David

What Type of Timber for My Sash Windows

Sash Windows — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:09:18 +0000

Q. What is the best wood to use for window frames? Is pine and tulip woods ok to use for the frames as long as the windows are treated and painted.

Liz

A. Liz, thank you for your enquiry.

I find that the best timber for external windows and doors is A Grade Sapele Mahogany. It is the most expensive but is the most stable and longest lasting. As it is so dense you the initial factory finish will last much longer than other woods. Accoya is a new treated softwood which is said to be even better.

I have no experience of using Tulip woods but Pine is often used, and sometimes with a hardwood cill for extra protection.

I would always recommend a factory finish as painting on site will never be as successful.

If you have any other queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards,
David

Sash Windows Listed Building Project

Sash Windows — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:41:20 +0000

Q. I am very interested in your sash windows. I have a small project on a listed building and need 4 x sash windows (double glazed) 12 paned georgian style, approximately 1800mm high x 1100mm. I need some advice on whether to go with spiral balances or traditional weights and pulleys.

Kind Regards
Darron

A. Darron,

Thank you for your enquiry.

Being a listed building you will probably be required to replace your windows with like for like, ie sash windows with traditional weights and pulleys. In my opinion they will be aesthetically correct and look better than spiral balances. You are also less likely to have problems with weights and pulleys as there is less that can go wrong with them. The walls of your home were probably built to incorporate box sash windows with weights and pulleys which makes them the ideal fit.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards,
David

Painting Hardwood Windows – which paint is best?

Sash Windows — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:58:16 +0000

Question.

I am having windows constructed in sapele – due for completion early Oct. They are provided primed but I am having them painted at home. We will be painting them inside the house before they are fitted so they can several coats to protect them properly before being exposed to the elements but they will be painted by brush. I would like advice on which paint to use. I have looked at Teknos waterbased primer and topcoats (maintenance 7-10 years) and Dulux Weathershield Preservative Basecoat and Opaque Woodstain (solvent based with a maintenance of 10 years). I have read very positive reviews of both but don’t know which will ultimately protect my windows best – we live in a very wet and windy area, my house is 200 years old and the walls get quite wet! I also generally prefer the finish of oil based paint. Please can you give me advice asap as the joiner needs to know which primer to use shortly.

Please help, this problem is sending me nuts.

Thanks in advance.

Helen

Answer.

Helen,

Thank you for your enquiry. Ideally wood windows should be painted in the workshop before assembly and glazing. This ensures all surfaces of the wood are sealed and exact tolerances can be allowed for. It also prevents seals from being painted over and obstructed. Professional spraying gives a much superior paint foundation which will last longer.

Personally I would use the micro-porous/Teknos type primer and 3 top coats as this allows the timber to breathe and maintenance down the line is much easier than oil based gloss paint. Whereas if moisture is to penetrate through a crack or a joint on an oil based finish it’s more likely to be sealed in causing the wood to rot.

Painted finishes will generally last longer than stained ones. The darker the stain finish means the more Uv protection and hence the longer lasting finish.

Good luck with the project.

Kind Regards,
David

David invites more sash windows questions

Sash Windows Triple Glazed or Double Glazed?

Sash Windows — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:18:49 +0000

It is not unusual for us at Kingsbridge Joinery to receive enquiries from people looking for triple glazed sash windows. This query can be expected because people are looking for the beauty of a sliding sash window combined with optimum insulation value from modern glazing. While anything is possible really from a bespoke joinery workshop, there are two main reasons why they are not commonly used.

Recent improvements in the u-values and performance of double glazed units have made them almost as efficient as triple glazed units
Placing a triple glazed unit into a sash window can take from its slender appearance and make the window look bulky and commercial like.

Kingsbridge provide Certified Low U Values Windows for their customers across a comprehensive range of timber sash windows and aluminium clad sash windows.

David Geraghty

Sash Windows: whistling drafts and frozen condensation on Winter’s mornings. Surely this is not still the case?

Sash Windows — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:52:23 +0000

This question comes from Anne in Essex.

Question. We are building a new home at the moment and I really want wooden sliding sash windows. Unfortunately, my husband grew up in an old farmhouse and his experience of sash windows is of whistling drafts and frozen condensation on winter’s mornings. Surely this is not still the case?

Answer. I know exactly what he means, my grandmother’s house was the very same. Getting out of bed on a winter morning was painful. Thankfully sash window construction has been transformed since then with the addition of double glazing and extensive draft seals and brushes.

Sliding sash windows can now achieve U-Values as low as 1.4W/m2K which is well within building regulations, and is a massive improvement on older single glazed windows.

A Kingsbridge sash window also holds an air permeability certificate which states it meets the requirements of Category 3, 600Pa. This means it will withstand winds of 71mph.

So, if you chose the right supplier you will have no ‘whistling drafts and frozen condensation’. I trust these factors will put your husband at ease.

David

When will I have to re-paint my sash windows ?

Sash Windows — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:22:25 +0000

Answer. When you choose pre-finished wooden windows, the lifspan of the paint work will mainly depend on the type of timber used in construction. Obviously the exposure of the building and whether or not the units receive any maintenance and cleaning will also have an effect on durability.

Factory finishing ensures an even and comprehensive covering of paint which cannot be achieved on site and provides peace of mind that all aspects of the window are protected from the elements.

Paint warranties on timber sash windows and doors are as much as 12 years on Accoya, 10 years on hardwood Sapele Mahogany and 8 years on laminated softwood. Depending on conditions the paint finish may last even longer. See this link for a case study of a Kingsbridge Joinery project – (Pre-finished sash windows, 10 years later)

When the time comes to re-paint, micro-porous paints are much more user friendly than the old gloss paints of days gone by.

David

David invites more sash windows questions

Ask David a Sash Windows Question

Sash Windows — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:12:15 +0000

Quite often I am asked to provide information, and answers to questions in relation to Sash Window installations for new builds or existing homes. These include questions about sash windows installations, longevity of sash windows, their green credentials etc.

I welcome these questions and here on sashwindowsguide.com I will display some of the questions I have received in the past along with those asked by visitors to the site.

I invite you to ask a question by filling in the form below and I will endeavor to answer it for you.

Regards,
David Geraghty

[contact-form]

Sash Windows Answer to Heat Loss

Sash Windows — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:34:37 +0000

Home Heat Loss in the UK: Going Right Out the Windows

Approximately 80 percent of energy used in the average UK home is for heating the space within, but inefficient homes lose approximately 20 percent or more of that energy, literally right “out the window.” Therefore, the carbon footprint left by homes in the UK is a large, heavy one, and the global issue of climate change has not gone unnoticed by the UK government. Its current overhaul of home energy efficiency policies is called the Green Deal and will be launched next year to implement more efficient structural and insulation improvements to lighten the UK’s carbon footprint. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the UK has ambitiously pledged its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. Since the energy used for heating rooms and water in buildings is responsible for about 33 percent of the UK’s annual CO2 emissions, the nation needs to strengthen its energy efficiency plans to cut this number by 20 percent to meet its obligations.

Doors and windows have always been the greatest source and risk of heat loss in most homes. Based on an average semi-detached home with single-glazed windows, current statistics reveal that replacing existing windows with double-glazed, energy-efficient models can save as much as £140 per year in heating costs and reduce CO2 emissions by 720 kilograms. Sash windows are now available with U-value ratings that can make a difference. Property owners can enjoy the benefits of a quieter, warmer home as well as realising great savings on energy bills and increasing property value by installing double-glazed windows. This small but significant improvement would go a long way to help the UK meet its carbon emission reduction goals. Even the government’s advisory Climate Change Committee acknowledges that “improving the energy efficiency of homes is the most effective way of tackling fuel poverty.” The Green Deal promises to get tougher on landlords who hold inefficient properties and fail to upgrade, but the government also plans to create incentives to encourage such rental property owners.

In its effort to monitor global warming effects and climate change activity, the UK established the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in 2008 to measure energy use and CO2 emissions in the UK and to advise on corrective methods of reducing harmful emissions and to develop energy efficiency strategies. The DECC has been successful with three important bills presented to Parliament, including the Energy Act of 2008, the Climate Change Act of 2008, and another Energy Act in 2010. Despite many schemes under these acts that have provided financial assistance and incentives to homeowners for energy efficiency improvements such as insulating cavity wall and loft space and replacing inefficient heating systems, no incentive or rebate schemes have yet been established for window replacement. The Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF), however, has recently presented a petition for the government’s consideration to include energy-efficient window replacement in its list of eligible improvements.

In collaboration with the GGF, the Energy Saving Trust provides homeowners the opportunity to calculate home heating energy loss with an Energy Saving Calculator found on the GGF’s website. Double-glazed windows also substantially reduce noise and prevent condensation problems associated with single-glazed windows. Double glazed and triple glazed sash windows are now available.

New government regulations applying to window and door replacement in existing homes require that all double-glazed replacement windows carry, at the very least, a C rating. Some exceptions are made for homes in conservation areas or for other listed properties, in which case secondary glazing is recommended to improve energy efficiency; secondary glazing is the addition of extra glass positioned on the inside of a home within the existing window reveal, but is not quite as efficient as replacement. Secondary glazing is also available in Low-E, or low-emissivity, which allows solar warmth and light to pass through but prevents inner heat from escaping back out.

The latest 2010 provisional statistics for the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions were released in March 2010, and, unfortunately, the figures have risen 2.8 percent higher than those of 2009. Some of this rise is attributed to the move away from nuclear energy and more toward gas and coal for electricity, but DECC Secretary Chris Huhne lamented that “Britain’s blighted by inefficient and draughty homes.” Whilst the government strongly considers adding replacement windows to the list of eligible upgrades and modifications as part of its new Green Deal policy, property owners and landlords can take the first step to reduce their heavy individual carbon footprints, save energy, and help the planet at large by installing double-glazed windows in their homes and buildings, an important measure that can cut heat loss through windows by half.

Sash Windows Then and Now

Sash Windows — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:44:24 +0000

Although it can be argued that the first instance of the sash window was as far back as the 13th century, the life of the Sash Windows we have come to know really began in the 18th and 19th Centuries, with their subtle proportions, symmetry and elegance.

These attributes along with their marked improvement of visibility brought about by a lesser need for multi section frames, made them a lasting visual element throughout this time.

Christopher Wren, as one of the great architects of the time is often accredited with fostering the sash window’s introduction to the British landscape and indeed it’s continued popularity.

When Sash Windows were Most Popular
It was in Victorian times, that sash windows were at their most popular. This popularity coincided with the availability of plate glass, which allowed sash windows to be much larger with only one or maybe two panes of glass to each sash.

Original sash windows consist of two glazed sashes, which slide vertically in a timber frame, supported by cords, these cords were balanced with metal weights. Although the design was not one of British origin, it became synonymous with British architecture both at home and in the colonies. This apparent adoption is evident when one hears descriptions such as, ‘Yorkshire’ sashes, which can be seen in cottages throughout England.

Sash Windows Revival
The growth of a more responsible attitude towards conservation and appreciation of the craftsmanship and design that went into the buildings of the 18th and 19th Centuries, sash windows are enjoying a welcome revival.

This feeling of responsibility and constant search for improved energy efficiency has brought about the birth of a very innovative product that can serve to satisfy the quest for both energy efficiency and environmental credentials.

Energy Efficient Wood and Aluminium-Clad Windows & Doors.
The marriage of two of the strongest, most durable and plentiful materials on the planet in a unique, highly detailed design, has resulted in the perfect solution for window efficiency, longevity and durability.

Kingsbridge Joinery’s new range of Wood and Alu Clad Windows & Doors is now available to home owners, architects and surveyors to satisfy environmental needs, while still adding considerable value to property.

This range is available in Sliding Sash Windows, Tilt & Turn and Outward Casement windows.

Energy options include Triple Glazed, Double Glazed and Passive, in a range of timbers from Redwood to Hardwood and even Oak.

For more on this visit www.kingsbridgejoinery.co.uk