Heritage work in one of England's most protected cities.
Canterbury is the furthest regular point on my patch and a city where period window work has to be done properly or not at all. The historic core is exceptionally protected, and the surrounding streets hold a great deal of Georgian and Victorian housing that sits within conservation areas.
The Georgian townhouses in and around the centre have tall, elegant sashes that were built to last and generally have, provided somebody kept the paint on them. Further out there are Victorian terraces and Edwardian villas with heavier windows and more straightforward repairs.
Because it is a longer journey I try to make the survey as useful as possible, going through every window and setting out clearly what needs doing now and what can wait. There is still no call out charge and no obligation.
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28 Castle Street, Canterbury. Photo by Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Canterbury windows tend to be well made and worth saving. The problems are usually the familiar ones, decades of paint build up locking sashes shut, snapped cords, failed putty and localised decay in sills and bottom rails, all of which are repairable.
What is different here is the standard the finished job has to meet. On a listed townhouse in a World Heritage city, an approximate moulding or a modern paint sheen in the wrong place is noticed. Matching what is already there exactly is the entire point of the exercise.
Every job in Canterbury starts the same way: a free survey, an honest conversation about what your windows actually need, and a written quote with no pressure attached.
Complete restoration of original timber sashes, done the traditional way.
Find out moreDecayed sections cut out and matching new timber spliced in.
Find out moreSnapped cords and unbalanced sashes put right so windows glide again.
Find out moreCracked panes, failed putty and slimline double glazed upgrades.
Find out moreCanterbury's historic core includes a World Heritage Site and the city has some of the tightest heritage control in the country. For most owners of listed property, replacing sash windows is simply not an option, and altering their appearance can require consent even when the change seems minor.
Repair and restoration is the route that keeps you on the right side of all of it. Like for like splice repairs, matched mouldings and glazing bars, retained original glass and fully reversible draught proofing. I will identify anything likely to need consent at the survey and provide a written specification of the proposed work so you have something clear to submit.
Yes. It is a regular part of my area and there is no travel charge or call out fee. For a longer journey I will usually arrange the survey for a time that lets me look at everything properly in one visit.
Yes, I do so regularly. The approach is traditional materials, like for like repair and reversible improvements, which is what heritage officers expect to see.
Yes, Canterbury and the surrounding area, and across the rest of east Kent by arrangement.
Yes. I provide a clear written specification setting out materials, profiles and methods, which is normally what is needed to support an application.
Based between Blackheath and the Medway towns, covering South East London, Kent and Essex. Not on the list? Get in touch anyway, I can often help with specific projects.