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Timber Window Repair for Period Properties in London
Timber windows are significant source of the quality and charm of period properties. As such, they are often protected by planning law, and even when not, there is more value in looking after timber windows than replacing them.
Our skilled carpenters and joiners perform meticulous and sympathetic repairs to restore the form and function of sash and casement timber windows across London’s period homes.
Environ Property Services are dedicated to the restoration and preservation of historic fabric wherever possible.
Our director, Terry Clark, is a member of The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings where he is engaged with the latest research and training in best practice when performing building works on old properties.
Rot, mould, warping and sticking in timber windows can all be repaired and do not necessitate replacement. Get in touch with us now request a call back to find out how we can give your windows a new lease of life.
Should you replace or repair timber windows in a period property?
In conservation areas, you will need to ask for planning permission to modify period timber windows on the street-facing side, while listed buildings will have protections on all windows in the house.
If you are permitted to replace the windows, it is usually on the condition that the replacement are conservation approved period replicas, built exact to the millimeter with the originals.
Because of the cost involved in producing such replicas, you need to consider whether it is more cost effective to repair or replace period windows. Except for the most extreme situations of long-term neglect, most timber windows can be repaired.
Rotten sections of timber can be cut away and replaced, while warped framed can be planed and sanded back into shape. Mould is often a result of condensation, which is an issue with ventilation and moisture permeability in the property, not an issue with the window itself.
Are PVC or timber windows better for period homes?
Contrary to popular opinion, PVC windows aren’t more durable than traditional timber frames. This has been proven by the fact that many PVC windows installed in the 90s are already having to be replaced, while timber windows from the Edwardian era are still going strong.
Due to their typically very high quality hardwood construction, it is almost always advised to repair rather than replace period windows, especially because many of the problems people associate with timber windows are a result of disrepair, not the design themselves.
A well-maintained timber window will be sealed from draughts, bone dry to the touch and open and close smoothly. They add significant value to period properties and, once fully repaired, should last a lifetime.
If you want to improve the thermal or acoustic performance of your windows, we can install a second removable interior pane with opens inwards inside the property. This solution is accepted by planning departments and won’t damage historic fabric.
Sash window repairs in London
Sash windows slide up and down using a rope pulley and counterweight. This simple and durable system has lasted for hundreds of years, and with the appropriate maintenance there is no reason not to continue using sash windows.
A sash window should be able to move smoothly with no more force than the push of your finger, with no friction and no rattle and form an airtight seal when closed.
That might sound too good to be true if you’re used to poorly maintained sash windows, but we can this is how they’re supposed to work and exactly how sash windows perform after we have repaired them.
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