Common problems, properly solved.
Original timber sash windows are part of the character and value of a period home. Rip them out and the house never looks quite right again. The good news is that almost every problem a sash window develops can be put right for far less than the cost of replacement.
Below are the problems I am asked about most, and how I resolve each one. If you are not sure what your windows need, send me a photo on WhatsApp and I will give you an honest opinion.
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Over the decades, timber shrinks and gaps open up between the sashes and the frame. The result is cold draughts, dust, street noise and windows that rattle every time the wind picks up.
How I fix it
I rout Schlegel Q-Lon draught proofing discreetly into the frames and beads. The thermo-glide, stay clean seals close every gap while the window still slides exactly as it should, and they are backed by a 10 year performance guarantee. Warmer rooms, quieter nights, no visible change to the look of the window.
Layer after layer of paint, swollen timber and decades of quick fixes leave many sashes wedged solid. A window that cannot open is a safety issue as well as a nuisance.
How I fix it
I carefully free the sashes, strip back the built up paint, ease and adjust the timber and rebalance the weights so the window opens and closes with one hand, the way it was designed to.
Sash cords wear through and snap, leaving the window jammed, lopsided or dangerous to open. Often the weights have been removed altogether during a past bodge.
How I fix it
I replace the cords with waxed or pre stretched nylon sash cords, refit or rebalance the cast iron weights and service the pulleys, so each sash glides smoothly and stays exactly where you leave it.
Sills, bottom rails and frame corners take the worst of the British weather. Once paint fails and water gets in, decay spreads quietly through the timber.
How I fix it
Rather than condemning the window, I cut out only the decayed sections and splice in matching new timber. As a Timbabuild approved installer I also use their epoxy resin repair system for lasting, invisible repairs.
Original single glazing loses heat fast, and in winter the glass streams with condensation. Many owners assume plastic replacement windows are the only answer. They are not.
How I fix it
I make new timber sashes with slimline double glazed units, matched to your originals and hung in the existing frames. Rooms get warmer, quieter and drier, and the look of the house does not change. Draught proofing completes the upgrade.
Sun, rain and time strip the protection from any painted window. Once bare timber is exposed, decay is never far behind, and the whole house starts to look tired.
How I fix it
I strip failed coatings properly, treat and prime the timber, and redecorate using Zinsser paint systems as an approved applicator. The result protects the window for years, not months.
Occasionally a window really is past the point of sensible repair. When that happens I make bespoke replacement sashes and complete windows to match the originals exactly, in traditional timber, single or double glazed.
You get a window that belongs to the house, not an off the shelf compromise.
Bespoke Replacement