Tag - sash window draught proofing

window draught proofing

The Benefits Of Draught Proofing Your Windows

When the temperature dips, you™ll soon start feeling the cold in your home. Taking steps to heat your home, such as putting on the fire or the heating, will help you to keep your home warm, especially during the winter months. But all of your efforts can go to waste if there are draughts in your home.

 

Draught proofing your home is a simple and cost-effective way of keeping your home warmer year-round. If you™re feeling the chill and want to do something about it, take a look at some of the benefits of draught-proofing your windows.

It™s affordable

When your windows are letting in cold air, it can be tempting to replace your windows altogether. Installing double glazing or other types of glass can be one way of getting rid of a draught, but it™s not the most affordable option.

 

Draught proofing will allow you to seal the gaps in your existing windows, helping them to last longer. Not only does this help keep the cold air out, but it can stop dirt and dust from entering your home too.

 

Installing new windows can cost thousands of pounds, but draught proofing can be much more reasonable. It can also be a temporary solution in the short-term while you save to cover the cost of replacing your windows and doors.

It keeps your home warmer

During the winter months, a draught can have a big impact on your home. The heat created by your central heating system or fire will be expelled, while cold air will be let in. This can lead to all sorts of problems including condensation and damp, as well as making your home feel colder overall.

 

Sealing your windows will make sure that warm air can™t escape, unless you use controlled ventilation. When you heat your home, therefore, you™ll experience the full benefit and won™t have to crank the heating up to the max. Your home will feel generally warmer throughout the year, keeping out the breeze that can make your home feel cold, even in the summer months.

It helps you save energy

Draughts mean your heating has to work twice as hard to heat your home, and might cause you to turn up the thermostat to get the desired result. However, doing this will cause your heating costs to rise, while also having an impact on the environment.

 

By draught-proofing your windows, your home will retain more heat. You can keep your heating at a reasonable temperature and won™t have to worry about heat escaping to the outside. You could save on your heating bills, and on some days, you might not need the heating on at all! Draught-proofing your home is also kind to the environment, helping you to do your bit for a greener planet.

 

The best way to draught-proof your home is to speak to a professional. At Mortice & Green, we are window repair experts and can provide suitable solutions for your needs. Get in touch with us today to discuss draught-proofing your home and keep your home cosy and comfortable all year round.

 

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We Repair Any Sash Window And At An Affordable Cost

There are countless benefits that consumers within the greater London area can gain by turning to Mortice And Green for all of their sash window needs. We repair any sash window in this region, regardless of how extensive the reported damages happen to be. With our help, you can preserve these amazing building features, protect your property investment, beautify your abode, and limit your carbon footprint among many other things.

It is vital to understand that sashes can provide lasting value, but only when homeowners are careful to maintain them properly. This means that these systems should be inspected on a routine basis, and regularly painted and stained. Without this care, they will eventually begin to show signs of serious wear and tear. This is especially the case at the property exterior given that exposed wood will invariably succumb to the ravages of the natural elements.

Preventative maintenance is actually the best form of repair work that you can invest in. If the paint or stain on your sashes is looking a bit old, you definitely want to contact us. Keep in mind that this is unlike painting any other feature at the property exterior. This is because sashes are comprised of a number of separate, moving components that must work seamlessly together. If over spill is gotten on an one of these, you will have to deal with sticking windows. In fact, if your windows are currently sticking, you should call us now to have them restored to their normal level of functioning and their original aesthetic beauty. We can add protective and cosmetic coatings to sash wood without compromising the mobility of individual, moving parts.

It may be that you’ve recently discovered a broken sash cord in one of your sash windows. Surprisingly, sashes can continue functioning for a short period of time with just a single functional cord. The downside of this fact is that it is incredibly dangerous to use them. You have probably noticed that sashes are quite heavy. In fact, you’d be very hard put to find a heavier window design that’s commonly installed in residential window properties. The single, remaining cord is going to have to bear all of this weight on its own. This means that it is definitely going to wear down a lot quicker. Within a short period of time, this extra friction, pressure and stress is going to cause the remaining cord to snap as well.

By waiting to take care of a repair like this one, you will end up having to replace two damaged cords rather than just the one. The most important thing to know, however, is that when the remaining cord does break, the heavy window will come crashing down. This can lead to a damaged frame, broken glass and serious physical injuries should anyone happen to be in the vicinity at the time of this event. More often than not, we will replace all cords so that the entire system is in good condition for a very long time to come.

Perhaps the biggest problem with poor maintained windows is wood rot. Wood rot can cause a host of problems with both these windows themselves and the building entire. As such, you want to make sure that the company working on this type of repair is committed to providing the most needs-specific solution. There is no one-size-fits-all remedy for this problem. Each window must be addressed on an individual basis, particularly in instances when the primary goal of homeowners is preserving as much of a home’s original construction as possible.

One major benefit of working with us on restoration projects like these is that we have a considerable amount of experience in preserving dated windows, without undermining their overall integrity and durability. We know which materials must be discarded, and which can be restored and retained. We also understand that in certain instances, rebuilding historic windows from start to finish makes the best sense. Best of all, we can complete these projects according to the original window design so that your new sashes will not be distinguishable from the ones that were initially installed in the home. We will talk you through our repair and restoration plans as well, so that you can have a clear understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of each decision. This allows consumers to make informed choices concerning the look and the functionality of their windows, as well as the impact that these will ultimately have on their overall property values.

We even make a few, special finishing touches to ensure a truly authentic and historic look. For example, we always take care to save and restore the original hardware when possible. If you are less concerned about authenticity and simply want to take advantage of the latest advancements in these products, we can tell you all about the latest innovations in these window designs. For instance, homeowners can now invest in double glazed sashes that have the same traditional beauty that these windows are known for, even as they provide far higher levels of insulation and efficiency. They can also choose to do away with dated lead weight and cord systems in favor of new cords and springs. We are capable of installing all types and styles of sash windows and will ultimately provide the solution that works best for you. We even offer innovative draught proofing systems for making these products far more efficient and better able to block out noise and air pollution.

Keep in mind that we are committed to always taking a hands on approach with all of our work. This means that absolutely no parts of your repair project will ever be outsourced. If we aren’t taking care of this work directly on your property, we will be working on your windows right in our very own workshop. This is how our quality control remains so high and why we are always willing and able to stand behind the sashes that we repair, restore and produce. At Mortice And Green, we love what we do and it definitely shows in the results we provide.

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Double glazing existing single glazed sash windows, a good idea?

If you have sash windows and you live in the UK then you have probably heard about the possibilities of replacing 4mm glass with a slim-line double glazed unit to upgrade your single glazed sash windows to double glazed sash windows.

If you have not then I will explain.

The idea first came to fruition around 12 years ago but didn™t become popular due to technological limitations of double glazed units at the time making it near on impossible to hide the old fashioned large double glazing spacer behind the inner moulding of each window.

Glass companies soon exploited the initial idea and came up with new double glazed units with much smaller discreet spacers and very slim units that had all the same thermal benefits of traditional double glazed units.

This new line of slim-line double glazing has now made it possible for property owners to double glaze existing sash windows in period houses without compromising the properties original architectural heritage.

People living in conservation areas that previously could not have double glazed sash windows due to the massive change in the appearance of the window can now do so without stepping on the local conservation officers toes!

This development has seen a huge rise in the amount of companies providing this service and as you might imagine there are also many chancers trying their hand at doing it too!

Be warned if the process is not done correctly or the wrong glass is used you may end up with sash windows that end up falling apart a year or two after the work is done, or if the gaskets are exposed to sun light and not properly hidden behind the beadings of the window they will degrade and you will have misted up windows.

It is far better to have the windows inspected by a reputable sash window company like Mortice and Green first to confirm suitability and then make sure the company carrying out the sash window work knows what they are doing and is using the correct materials and glass.

There are other options to upgrading your sash windows that are comparable in price and in some ways better too. One way is to have the fixed box frame fully restored and have reproduction sash windows manufactured to replace the old single glazed windows.

The new sash windows should be identical in every way other than the fact they will have been designed for slim line double glazed units as opposed to 4mm glass.

Once fitted, the replacement sash windows will provide the same level of thermal protection as complete replacement sash windows, with far less costs and hassle than replacing the entire box sash window.

You should also remember that a double glazed sash window that is fitted into a box frame that is not properly draught proofed is not going to be any better than a single glazed sash window! The double glazed window relies on the window to be properly insulated against draughts.

You would be surprised to hear just how many windows I see across London every month that are double glazed but not draught proofed, I often wonder just what the heck the so called œsash window repair expert was thinking as he fitted the new double glazed sash windows into the draughty un-insulated box frame? It is a real puzzle¦

If you are considering having reproduction sliding sash windows made then why not give us a call? We can double glaze your existing sliding sash windows or if you prefer we also manufacture solid Oak double glazed reproduction sash windows as well!

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