With updated manufacturing and product technology, it is not necessary to take out your genuine sash windows in order to achieve better insulation, noise suppression, or get better sash window locks, etc.  In order to help you maintain your timber sash windows, many sash window repair companies can now offer sash window restoration on existing windows:

Draught Sealing: The gaps that may be present around an old, decaying or badly fitting window sash can be considerable.  It is estimated that the space around badly fitting windows can measure up to 25 centimetres !  Window repair can reduce leakage and this will greatly reduce your heating bills and increase your comfort.  In addition, by stopping draughts entering your home you are also stopping or reducing noise and dust from entering also.

Sash Window Restoration And Sash Window Repair.

Whole or Part Replacement of Frames: As most windows sashes are made from softwood, over time all or part of a frame can become damaged, swollen or rotted.  It is possible with sash window restoration of timber windows to simply replace the damaged portions of a frame and to blend them into the original structure.  Sash window repairs are easily carried out by a qualified carpenter and this can be a much less expensive option than installing uPVC sash windows.

Double Glazing / Triple Glazing: This can be achieved on your existing  windows, depending on the condition of the frames and also the depth of the frame.  Window repair and double glazing of existing windows can be carried out on site by some companies and is can work out about 65% of the  cost of installing new double or triple glazed windows.

Security Glass and Safety Glass: Security glass is a toughened glass and along with safety glass can be installed into your existing frames, and may be a requirement, depending on the location of the frames within the residence.  Safety Glass is in many ways the opposite to security glass, as it will shatter into many non-sharp particles when struck.

Acoustic Glass: This is a thick glass and depending on the thickness of your frames and how robust they are it can be fitted, helping to eliminate traffic sounds, etc.  This glass can be 8 millimetres – 13millimetres thick.

Anti-Fade Glass: Window restoration can include the installation of anti-fade glass which eliminates the ultra violet rays that do damage to your carpets, upholstery, furniture, etc.  Companies such as Spectrum and Pilkingtons are among many that produce such glass that can be sized to fit your existing windows.

Self Cleaning Glass: This glass is finished with a very smooth surface and causes rain and dirt to have difficulty adhering to its surface.  One such example would be ‘Pilkington ActivT’ self cleaning glass.

As you can see from the above there are many forms of sash window repair and sash window restoration that may reduce your need to purchase expensive new window units.

Related posts:

1. Sash Window Upgrading
2. What are Sash Windows ?
3. Purchasing Sash Window Locks.

The original design of the sash window is attributed to the English inventor, Robert Hooke (1635 –1703) and sash windows were a very common type of window, especially in Georgian residences and also Victorian houses.  In these residences, the most common sash window used was and is the classical style of two frames each with six panels.  This however, was a style particular to those types of residence and is not a fixed rule – many different styles of these windows survive and are in use today.

Sash windows have an advantage that allows them to be partially opened without the window falling back into the closed position, as would be expected of a heavy vertical frame.  This can be achieved in different ways.  Earlier types of these windows had ropes and counter weights (or sash weights) that were set into the window frame.  More modern types of sash type windows use friction tracks to achieve the same result.  This is a preferable method in the construction of modern houses with thinner outer walls.

Other types of windows with sashes can have hinges on one side, which, when the counter balance is disconnected on the other side, allows the window to be swung open.  This can be used as a safety measure or for cleaning purposes.

 In the past the materials used in the construction of these window frames was entirely of timber.  With the development of new products, it is quite usual to see metal (particularly aluminium) and uPVC being used instead of wooden sash windows.  Many people have to make what can be a difficult choice between timber  and uPVC sash windows.   In a further development with regard to the ‘evolution’ of sash windows, it is now common to install double glazed sash windows or triple glazed windows, and there has been a reversion to traditional sash timber windows, which can be painted or stained, according to the owner’s wishes.

Sash Window Restoration.

Sash windows have contributed in a major way to architecture, and the evolution in design of these windows show the changes in architectural and social history over several centuries.

There are window companies which specialise in the sash window repairs – some older windows can have quite a complicated counter weight system.  If at all possible, it is in the future interest of our architectural heritage that every effort be made to repair your sash windows and retain their fantastic features for future generations.  Maintaining your timber sash windows and painting your sash windows can be a slow and sometimes difficult undertaking and installing replacement sash windows can be a tempting option, but they are tasks that will bring their rewards.

Related posts:

1. Sash Window Upgrading
2. Sash Window Repair And Sash Window Restoration.
3. Safety Features of Double Glazed Sash Windows