Are You Sure You Wish To Change Your Sash Windows?
Nowadays we are very aware of the amount of energy we use in our homes. Therefore when something in our home is obviously inefficient in energy usage or in energy saving terms, the temptation is for us to get rid of it, and get rid of it fast.
That appears to be the case with old timber sash windows. There has been an undignified scramble to throw these rattling, draughty windows on the scrapheap and to replace them with modern uPVC sash windows that have an excellent 'R Value' and which will help increase the thermal capacity of your home.
Things have become so drastic with regard to homeowners removing the character sash windows from their homes in favour of modern windows that in Great Britain, planners and councils have had to introduce planning laws restricting the replacement of windows in buildings.
Recently 'English Heritage' have produced a study which shows how quite inexpensive repair work and some additional basic improvements can improve the heat retention of old sash windows dramatically. These improvements can, if carried out properly, bring the old sash windows right up to building regulation targets. Considering the cost of replacement windows, introducing these improvements to existing sash windows and thereby removing the need to change the windows, could be a fantastic cost-saving exercise.
The study's findings include:
By mending and repairing existing cracks and fissures in old window frames, one can reduce the amount of cold air entering into a home from outside by up to a third and by adding basic draught proofing to a sash window that is in reasonably good repair the benifical effects can be much more dramatic.
By installing heavy drapes or blinds in your home, you can also reduce greatly the heat loss from your rooms.
Perhaps slightly more expensive beneficial actions can include the installation of secondary glazing or shutters, or preferably both of them in a home. Even allowing for the cost of installation of these improvements, the overall cost will be far less than the expense involved in removing all existing windows from a home and replace them with new window units.
So the message seem to be that if you are considering replacing your old sash windows, proceed with caution on two counts. Firstly, make sure that you are entitled under planning law to make the changes you wish to make and secondly, be sure that what you are undertaking is a cost effective way of improving the energy rating of your home. Remember you are probably doing all of this to save money, not throw it away.
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